Is Democracy Possible Without a Restriction of the Suffrage?

• Authors: Vincenzo Alfano
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Today, the concept of democracy seems inextricably linked with that of universal suffrage. But is it true? To let that anyone with a given age has the right to vote is a very good democratic practice, or would prefer to question the criteria for access to this right, perhaps to develop new systems? The current crisis of democracy in the Western world is symptomatic of a detriment of the political consciousness of the people? And yet it is very likely to be admissible and that only from the mass, the large numbers, rises the better choices? In this paper I try to answer these questions, drawing from personal opinions and thoughts, which I hope will inspire questions and curiosity in those who, like me, believes that any system is always perfectible, and that its aim should be to that perfection, without fear of asking uncomfortable questions. Personally, in fact, I can accept democracy as “the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried”, to quote a famous statement by Winston Churchill. But not for that I give up, and I try other ways. Ways that are more satisfying, more fair and keep us away from the horrors that only an angry mob can do.

Keywords

EN

democracy; suffrage; universal suffrage; alternatives to universal suffrage; suffrage reduction

• Publisher: Sciendo
• Journal: Studia Humana
• Year: 2014
• Volume: 3
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 3-10

Dates

published

2014-09-01

online

2014-10-08

Contributors

author

Vincenzo Alfano

• Università degli Studi di Napoli “Federico II” Napoli, Italia

References

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• 11. Searle, John, Speech Acts. An Essay in the Philosophy of Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University press, 1969.

Identifiers

DOI

10.2478/sh-2014-0009