Abstract
Democracy, defined as direct power by and for the people, is an idea based on the principle that the authority called to govern collective life rests on all individuals. Although this ideal of direct democracy was exercised as early as the sixth century BC, it was gradually replaced by a system of representative democracy, in which elected people ruled. But it was really in the nineteenth century after the French Revolution that the various elements of its representative organization came into being. Following the extension of the right to vote to all male citizens, various political forces will try to persuade certain sections of popular circles to express their grievances through the ballot box rather than through insurrection. Among these instruments, the election to choose a political party, representing the political ideas to be implemented for the whole country, is at the center of this system. Moreover, since the middle of the 20th century, it has been clear that international institutions have measured democracy by the organization of free elections within countries. However, after almost 3 centuries of representative democracy, it seems to be experiencing a certain "crisis" of representation. In this essay, I will defend the point of view that if the election does indeed make it possible to choose a political party which represents the citizens, the exercise of the mandate of the representatives does not tend to respect the democratic dimension of the vote and that we have to find other methods to practice democracy. Thus, I will consider proposing alternative solutions based on alternative political theories.
Extract
[...] For marxist and anarchist thinkers, the election is in no way democratic, since it does not guarantee equality and a formal freedom to exercise power by the people. It even contributes to hiding and maintaining real inequalities, both in the Assembly and outside political bodies3. 2. The election does not fulfill its democratic role since it does not allow the real delegation of power from the people to the representative Secondly, I would say that the election does not fulfill its democratic role, since it does not allow the real delegation of power from the people to the representative. [...]
[...] DÉMOCRATIE : Évolution de la démocratie représentative. Encyclopædia Universalis. https://www.universalis.fr/encyclopedie/democratie/6-evolution-de-la-democratie-representative/ Laquièze, A. (2018). Élection des gouvernants et légitimité démocratique. Cités, N° 131-140. https://doi.org/10.3917/cite.076.0131 Lemieux, C. (2012). Les élections et les limites de la démocratie. Alternatives Économiques, N° 313(5), 77-77. [...]
[...] As the French philosopher Simone Weil has argued, it is worth asking how parties act in the public interest7. The social origin and socio-economic resources of representatives often lead them to act in their own interests and not to look after the true interests of the people, sometimes by taking decisions that go against the interests of the people and sometimes even by denying democracy. That, in turn, leads to democratic denial, which is catastrophic for the proper functioning of the democracy. [...]
[...] However, the decisions taken are not always in accordance with the programs presented by the political parties. There are several reasons for this: socially and psychologically, elections are more likely to be won by people from wealthy backgrounds. Because of their social background, even though they want to represent the voters. They cannot always have a clear idea of what these voters are going through. How can a person who has never experienced discrimination speak for those who have There may be a cognitive gap between the lived experiences of those who represent and those they represent. [...]
[...] Elections: a choice of political party, but for what kind of democracy? Institutions and Political Representation (POLI-D511) - 2024/2025 - Assertion discussed: " Elections fulfil their democratic role because they allow voters to find and choose a political party that will represent them in parliament or government " Introduction Democracy, defined as direct power by and for the people, is an idea based on the principle that the authority called to govern collective life rests on all individuals. Although this ideal of direct democracy was exercised as early as the sixth century BC, it was gradually replaced by a system of representative democracy, in which elected people ruled. [...]
