The Role of Democratic Government

1
The Role of Democratic Government

• Pragmatist view of democratic government
• Other ideas about democratic government
• Where do you stand?

2
Pragmatism and Policymaking

• How can government be organized to develop
  knowledge and power in same place?
• Interaction among people produces greater wisdom
  than anyone alone Two heads are better than one
  principle
• partisanship
• search for agreement

3
Good Policymaking Occurs When

• Concerns strongly held by a sizeable number of
  people are taken into account
• Reasonable trade-offs are made among conflicting
  values
• Available, relevant information is taken into
  account as much as possible

4
Strategic Analysis

• Incremental analysis
• Focus on a Few Policy Options
• Focus Mostly on Ills to be remedied
• Trial and Error

5
Virtues of Fragmentation

• Among partisans
• Like a court of law
• Limited number of issues to which we can attend

6
Potential Intelligence of Democracy

• Are we actually achieving this potential?
• Are we making best use of information?
• Does everyone have access?
• Etc.

7
Role of Government

• Pragmatist (Dewey)- Problem Solver
• Social Conservative (Devlin)- Preserve Social
  Order
• Harm Principle (Mill)
• Nightwatchman State/Libertarian (Nozick/Narveson)
• Marxist State necessarily protects capitalist
  system/interests of capitalist class

8
Role of Govt.-Competing Views

• Social Democratic/Reform Liberal (Rawls)-
  Government ought to mitigate market excesses and
  the negative consequences of social inequality
• Feminist (MacKinnon) Government ought to oppose
  subordination and promote equality

9
Roles of Govt cntd

• Anarchist (Goldman) No constructive role for
  government- Government more likely source of
  problems than of solutions