Politische Innovation und Verfassungsreform - Badac

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haber, sondern möglicherweise sogar das Verfassungssystem der USA selbst zu
diskreditieren.
Auch neueste Publikationen sind der Faszination des britischen Modells erlegen.
So schreibt etwa Peter H. Merkl:
„The two-party system in Great Britain has helped to create a system of political
responsibility, from the prime minister and the cabinet system down to the electorate
, that makes the electoral choice more meaningful than just about anywhere.“
5
In dem Buch Political Oppositions in Western Democracies bewertet Robert A. Dahl
verschiedene Oppositionsformen anhand von acht Kriterien, die eine weitgehende
Ähnlichkeit mit unseren Ziel- und Randbedingungswerten aufweisen. Kurz zusammengefasst
handelt es sich um Meinungsfreiheit, Partizipationsmöglichkeit der
Bürger, Abstellen auf die Mehrheit bei Konfliktsfällen, Rationalität der Entscheidfällung,
Minderheitenschutz, gewaltlose Austragung von Konflikten, Entscheidungskapazität
der Regierung, demokratische Legitimität des Systems. 6 Er gelangt zum
Schluss, dass diese teilweise gegensätzlichen Werte in einem Zweiparteiensystem
am besten optimiert werden können; sofern bestimmte Voraussetzungen erfüllt
seien. Diese in fünf Punkte gegliederten „Voraussetzungen“ sind allerdings nicht
überaus klar formuliert. 7 Immerhin darf in Anspruch genommen werden, dass die
Verwirklichung unseres Massnahmenbündels die Wahrscheinlichkeit erheblich
erhöhen würde, in der Schweiz eben diese „Voraussetzungen“ herzustellen.
Zum angelsächsischen Demokratieverständnis gehört unter anderem die Vorstellung,
dass die Chance für einen durch Wählerentscheid bewirkbaren Macht-
5 Merkl, op. cit., S. 279.
6 Robert A. Dahl, „Epilogue“, in: Dahl (ed.), Policical Oppositions in Western Democracies, Yale University
Press, New Raven 1966 (4. Auflage 1969), S. 387 f. – Dahl formuliert die acht Kriterien wie
folgt:
1. Liberty of thought and expresslon, including opportunlties for dissenting mlnorities to make their
views known to other citizens and policy-makers. – 2. Opportunities for citizens to participate in political
life. – 3. When political conflicts occur, control over the decisions of government by majorities (rather
than minorities) of citizens, voters, and elected officials. – 4. Rationality in political discussion and decision-making,
in the sense of increasing understanding by citizens and leaders of the goals involved and
the appropriate means. – 5. Consensus in political discussion and decision-making, in the sense that
solutions are sought that will minimize the size, resentments, and coercion of defeated minorities, and
will maximixe the numbers of citizens who conclude that their goals have been adequately met by the
solution adopted. – 6. The peaceful management of conflicts and the minimization of political violence.
– 7. Resolution of urgent policy questions, in the sense that the government directs its attention to any
question regarded as uryent and important by a substantial proportion of citizens or leaders, and a-
dopts solutions satisfactory to the largest number of citizens. – 8. Widespread confidence in and loyalty
to a constitutional and democratic polity. -
7 Dahl, Oppositions (op. cit.), S. 393. Die Voraussetzungen lauten: 1. The parliament is sovereign in law
and in fact. – 2. Within parliament, the principle of majority rule is applied to decisions. – 3. Ameng citizens,
and markedly among political activists, there exists a high degree of consensus on the desirability
and legitimacy of the first two conditions; on the other characteristics of the constitutional system; on
the rights, liberties, and duties ef individuals and groups; and on a great many social and economic
goals, institutions, and arrangements. – 4. On all questions abeut which there are conflicting views, and
for which governmental action is regarded by sonne people as desirable, most citizens divide into only
two great clusters of opinion. These opinions, though stable for long periods, are not rigidly fixed bot
change with time, as does the size of the two opinion-clusters. – 5. There are two political parties, and
neither of these parties is, or expects to be, indefinitely out of office.