To What Extent are the Principles of Liberalism Viable?

Unit 3Shayla , Sydnie and Megan

The Viability of the Principles of Liberalism• People who live in liberal democracies favor liberal concepts. Some examples are the worth of every individual, the power of human reason, the limits of a government into individual’s lives, and a belief in human progress. This favoring is normal for a person living in a society that is based on particular liberal democratic ideological system of beliefs.

• Postmodernism is another ideology that challenges liberalism. It is the period that follows modernism in the fields of art, literature, and philosophy, largely in Western Societies. It also rejects the principals of modernism and liberalism.

• Extremism challenges liberal beliefs about the structure of society, interpretations of history, and even liberal visions of the future.

• A liberal belief in freedom of expression is challenged when extremists profess intolerant views that sometimes promote hatred toward others.

The Promotion of Liberalism

The two largest reasons for which some countries attempt to impose ideologies are self-interest and humanitarianism.

Self-interest is the imposition of liberalism to eliminate or reduce terrorist threats, or for reasons of economic self-interest.

Humanitarianism is the imposition of liberalism for moral or ethical reasons, such as to improve living conditions or stop human rights violations.

• American president Woodrow Wilson claimed that democracy be a vital element of the peace treaty with Germany. He strained the importance of democracy and self-determination in instituting a lasting peace in Europe.

• Exporting liberal democracy has both economic and security benefits. Countries that embrace liberalism are less expected to terrorize the security of other liberal democracies.

• The “war on terror” is an example of humanitarianism. It was partially based on human rights issues such as Afghan women having no rights and how Saddam Hussein’s reign over Iraq was categorized by fear and torture strategies.

• Democratic elections are often hailed by liberal Western countries as a necessary condition to peace and good authority. Sometimes when they are held in an unbalanced environment, the elections tend to worsen existing tensions between conflicting political movements. • Rwandan regime, after 20 years under the rule of Major General Juvenal Habyarimana, established a multi-party system and became a coalition government. This creation of a coalition government, which was made up of conflicting ethnic groups, was seen to be one of the reasons that led to the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

• Liberalism as an ideology has progressed over time and certain features of it have changed as historical situations have changed.

The Will of the People• Direct democracy functions on the belief that every citizen’s voice is important and essential for the running of society. It has been favoured as an expression of liberal principles. Three important factors include initiatives, referendums, and recalls. • Representative democracies are used most often by modern liberal democracies. Citizens in this system vote for governing officials to make decisions on their behalf. The designated representatives guarantee they remain true to the will of the people. The graph on the next page represents all tools that can establish basic citizen rights and freedoms.

Accountability of Elected Representatives

Periodic Elections

Multiple Parties Separation

of Powers

Independent Media

Rule of Law

Independent Judiciary

• A responsible government is a representative democracy in which the branch of government proposes laws, the executive branch is dependent on the direct or indirect support of elected members of legislative branch

• Canada has a parliamentary democracy and follows a traditional government known as responsible government

• Countries that have selected representatives have a written constitution that serves the interests of the people and guarantees their rights. It also outlines the responsibilities of the government to the nation.

The Right to Vote

• Voting is a minimal act and if people do not vote, then democracy is at risk of falling into the hands of people who will use the power of government negatively

• In 2006, only 64.7% of eligible voters actually voted and in 2008 the percentage of voters dropped to 59%.

Encouraging Economic Equality

• Not all individuals and groups are treated equally in liberal democratic countries. For example, racism and censorship exist in some form in all countries.

• If liberal principals have resulted in the modern industrialized world, can they also be harnessed to solve the problems of the industrialized world?

• Egalitarianism favours equality of some sort. Its general premise is that people should be treated as equals on certain dimensions such as religion, politics, economics, social status, and culture.

• It is defined either as a political doctrine that all people should be treated as equals and have same political, social and civic rights or as a social philosophy advocating the removal of economic inequalities among people

The Practises of Political and Economic Systems• Consensus decision making is a group of individuals that share ideas, solutions and concerns to find a resolution to a problem that all members of the group can accept. Nunavut and Northwest Territories are consensus governments. The Quaker-based model is another example of consensus. Consensus in this system is grounded in the beliefs and values individuals have about themselves and the group.

• Authoritarianism is a form of government that vests in power of an influential group that may or may not rule in the interests of the people. Authoritarianism is an expression of collectivism, in opposition to individualism. They can take forms such as:

Oligarchies- political power rests with a small elite segment of society; present day Russia

One-Party States- only one part forms the government and no other parties are permitted to run in elections

Military Dictatorships- political power resides with the military leaderships; countries include Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East.

Monarchies- supreme power is absolutely lodged with an individual who is head of the state; Saudi Arabia

Different Types of Economies:• Traditional economies are usually practises by a pre-industrialized society, where needs are met through agriculture, hunting, and fishing. A division of labour exists based on customs and traditions.

• Free market economies operate with limited government intervention. Production and marketing of goods and services are decided through the free interaction of producers and consumers.

• Command Economies are based on public ownership of property in which government planners decide what goods to produce, how they are produced and hot they should be distributed.

• Mixed economies are based on free-market principles but with some government intervention. The government normally regulates industry to help with boom-and-bust of the business cycle and offer social welfare programs.

Rejecting Principles of Liberalism

Reactions to Foreign Liberalism

• When democratic elections are held in an unstable political climate, elections do not always improve the situation.

• Foreign governments insistence on democratic reforms may sometimes ignore the instability of a particular country’s domestic situation.

• Rwanda genocide has been blamed on its coalition government, which was created in response to pressure to pressure from Western governments

Failure of Liberalism

• Some countries cannot maintain liberal institutions themselves once a freely elected government is in power.

• Liberalism was not adopted over night by countries such as Canada and United States. It has evolved over a long period of time, and certain aspects of it have changed as historical circumstances.

• Liberal democracy has difficult conditions such as unemployment, inflation, and civil unrest in a country without an existing liberal democratic tradition.

• The health of a country’s political institutions is dependent on its citizens, regardless of foreign intervention.

Promoting Individual and Collective Rights

• Fundamental rights include the rights to life, liberty, and personal safety. They are fundamental because they are essential for an individual to enjoy free will or own independence.

• Individual rights must be balanced in the interests of conserving the rights of everyone in society.

• Nations under totalitarian or dictatorship rule have subjected individual rights to the needs of the state. Cuban government for example determines the understanding and execution of the Constitution, which leads to little protection of individual rights.

• Language legislation- laws regarding the official language of the state. This legislation in Canada is related to the Official Languages Act of 1969 or to the Charter of the French Language, such as Bill 101 of 1977.

• The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, collective rights refer largely to the rights of the official language groups and Aboriginal peoples. It reflects and establishes Canada’s bilingual, pluralistic nation.

• Aboriginal groups from all over the world are occupied in efforts for the rights to their people. They have presented their cases to the United Nations for acknowledgment and support while stressing governments to work toward a superior future.

• Aboriginal groups have become successful in having a section of the Canadian Constitution dedicated to the rights and freedoms of their people.

Charters and Acts that protect individual and collective rights of a nation include:

• American Bill of Rights- based primarily on John Locke’s concept of natural rights for all individuals including life, liberty and protection of property

• Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982) - created to establish fundamental rights to all individuals

• Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms- all individuals have the right to full and equal recognition of human rights and freedoms without any discrimination

“Collective rights are the cornerstone on which Canada was built. Without the guarantees made to groups and minorities, it is unlikely the people of Upper and Lower Canada would have joined to form a country.” – Supreme Court Chief Justice Beverly McLachlin.

Principles of Liberalism involved with Contemporary Issues

• Environmentalism is a philosophy regarding environmental concerns and improving the environment

• Liberalism has promoted economic growth and individual rights. It has also caused many social and environmental problems.

• Many individuals have turned to activism to focus the media on problems that industries have caused. Such as air pollution and consumerism.

• Scientists, environmental activists, and other groups began to place pressure on governments to take in consideration the importance of environment and how individuals should limit their impact on the atmosphere

• The Kyoto Protocol is an agreement that was reached to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere. It is an example of how governments are finding ways to approach climate change