The paradox of democracy is that in order for a democracy to function effectively, its citizens need to be well informed and engaged in political discourse; however, the very nature of democracy leads to decreased levels of political knowledge, and an increase in radical discourse instead of deliberative discourse, thereby weakening the institutions underpinning democracy.
Breakdown
- In a democracy, all of its members have the same voting rights, and have the capacity to influence government policy.
- For that reason, democratic citizens, should always be well informed and take an active role in political discourse.
- However, the very act of democratization leads to decreased political knowledge and participation, as well as an increase in radical discourse, ultimately weakening the institutions that make a democracy itself.
Why do levels of political knowledge and engagement decrease?
- When a country democratizes, it usually goes from having an elite of highly informed and active citizens to a society composed mainly of citizens with modest political resources.
- This happens particularly when the process of democratization is quick, and not many of the citizens have the opportunity to develop the skills and knowledge needed to be effective democratic participants.
- Moreover, the information demands imposed by democracy are high because democratic citizens must be able to understand the political debate and make informed choices.
- When individuals are presented with high amounts of information, instead of being motivated to become more informed, they reduce the effort they dedicate to understand it. This phenomenon is called informational fatigue.
Why does democracy lead to radical discourse and not deliberative discourse?
- Deliberative discourse refers to the discussion and debate of ideas and opinions in a respectful manner, with the goal being to reach a common understanding or solution to a problem.
- Radical discourse refers to extreme or unfounded ideas and opinions which divide society.
- In a democracy, where all citizens have a voice, it becomes more difficult to reach consensus and compromise, hence fostering a radicalized society where people with similar values gather together and fight against those of different values.