Many commentators, including myself, have argued that Trump represents a clear and present danger to American liberal democracy. What do we mean by that?
Let’s start by defining two concepts that are actually quite different. “Democracy” means the rule of the majority of citizens, however that is ascertained–the devil is in the details. After all, the CCP claims to be “democratic.” The fundamental assumptions behind “democracy” are: that sovereignty rests in the citizenry (not God, a conqueror, or some limited group of people); that the well-being of each citizen is equally important to society, even if every person has different levels of ability; that since every citizen has an equal stake in good government, he has an equal right to participate in that government; and that crowds have more wisdom than any individual.
“Liberalism” evolved in England after the 17th century; it thus long predated “democracy.” “Liberalism” assumes that society is the sum of its individual parts, and that the best way to have a thriving society is to protect the right of each individual to pursue his own development and interests without unnecessary interference from government. “Liberalism” is thus the antithesis of autocracy; it calls for checks and balances within government to prevent any one individual from having arbitrary power, and it protects the individual rights of the governed from the excesses of government. Freedom of speech, association, religion, and the press are highly valued in liberal countries, as are the consistent application of law to all citizens, limits on police behavior, and a depoliticized law enforcement system.
Trump is a threat to both the “liberal” and “democratic” pillars of liberal democracy. I will discuss why in my next post.