Achieving Democracy and Equality Essay -- A Social Power Analysis of D

This paper shows why both democracy and equality are desirable, and why democracy, in its true sense, is an important step to achieve greater equality. There are many reasons why political philosophers need to look beyond the one person, one vote conception of democracy to understand why such theories have allowed social and economic inequality to continue to exist. While many democracies do not live up to our expectations in regards to providing equality, there are explanations for this and methods of overcoming such problems. Is equality desirable? The first thing to consider is whether equality is desirable, and if so, what kinds of equality are desirable. For example, should young children have equal voting rights? The consensus around this issue in most democracies is that there is an age where children should not be able to vote (even if there is disagreement on exactly what the age should be). However, it does not follow that it is permissible for children to be discriminated against by the law because they are unable to vote. To determine whether equality is, in the first instance, desirable we must consider what is meant by the term ‘equality.’ Equality is often considered to be important exclusively within a designated demos. This is important because it facilitates an ongoing conversation and reflection on individual preferences. The laws created by the demos are seen as binding upon them. This is partially where our obligation to follow the laws of the government arises – because we voted them in and are bound by the social contract. Of course, there will always be questions as to the legitimacy of laws and what obliges the disenfranchised minority to follow the laws of the majority. However, when there has been... ...om.au/business/a-snip-at-22m-to-get-rid-of-pm-20110201-1acgj.html. Green, P. (1985). Retrieving democracy : in search of civic equality. Totowa, N.J., Rowman & Allanheld. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. (2011). "Jeremy Bentham." Retrieved November 3, 2011, from http://www.iep.utm.edu/bentham/. Megalogenis, G. (2010). "Trivial Pursuit: Leadership and the End of the Reform Era." Quarterly Essay(40): 1-83. 40. Retrieved 2010 from http://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=586827778419771;res=IELHSS. Myers, J. C. (2010). The politics of equality : an introduction. London; New York; New York, Zed Books ; Distributed in the USA exclusively by Palgrave Macmillan. Singer, P. (1973). Democracy and disobedience. Oxford, Clarendon Press. Verba, S. and N. H. Nie (1972). Participation in America: political democracy and social equality. New York, Harper & Row.