Liberal democracy
There are also practical challenges to participation in democracy and free speech. Technological development has increased participation in democracy, due to easier access to information and communication. However, the digital divide has meant that those with more access to technology can participate more in democracy than those with less access. 2 It is possible that, thanks to the continued technological development, including increased internet access, the digital divide will continue to narrow. One of the other practical challenges to liberal democracy is censorship by social media platforms. In recent years, we have become reliant on a small number of digital communication apps to communicate with each other. The problem is that these apps can cut off anyone from digital communication. However, reliance exists on a 2-way system: the businesses running the apps rely on consumers for profit. For example, after Twitter banned Donald Trump from using Twitter, Twitter shares decreased in price more than 10% on the following Monday. Donald Trump is creating a new social media platform and will be able to continue expressing free speech. 3 This demonstrates that if there is the possibility for competition in the market, social media platforms are unlikely to cut anyone off for political reasons, due to the profit motive, and even if they do, there are other social media platforms available. Another practical challenge for liberal democracy is the influence that big businesses have in determining campaign funding, shown in the chart in the appendix from the House of Commons Library. This undermines the will of the people, in exchange for the will of wealthy individuals, trade unions, and big businesses. This can create dissatisfaction in democracy. It can also lead to corruption within Government; individuals and businesses expect something in return for donations. For example, Serco, the firm supplying Covid tests has received millions of pounds in taxpayers’ money; the wife of their CEO donated £4995 to the Conservativ e party in December 2019 and their CEO’s brother is a former Conservative MP. However, in a liberal democracy, corruption comes with accountability to the taxpayers and voters, and is therefore uncommon compared to dictatorships. Democracy and liberalism may clash over minority rights. Is the will of the majority or the rights of the individual more important? In a democracy, minorities can make their voices heard, but they cannot guarantee that the majority group will respect their rights. In a dictatorship, minorities rely on the dictator, who often is not benevolent towards minorities. For minorities, arguably a liberal democratic system is most rational, because it ensures that minorities are equal before the law, and the majority feels listened to on issues not concerning individual freedoms.
To conclude, despite its vulnerabilities, liberal democracy is the most rational form of social and political organization currently in existence, because it ensures political stability, freedom, and the will of the people. However, it is not always the most just form of social and political organization. If
2 In the appendix, see the graph from the ONS, which displays the percentage of non-internet users in the UK by region in 2012 and 2018. 3 See Yahoo Finance: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/twitter-shares-tumble-after-sitepermanently-bans- trump-133716623.html.
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