democracy - Vision the Italian Think Tank

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the opposite situation: only one of the Countries 12 with the highest growth ratebelongs to the group of consolidated democracies 13 ;2. The inequity; if again we shift from the absolute comparison to the in depthvariations and evaluations, not only western democracies experience growinggaps; but the most serious aspect is that a relevant part of the best resources areon the wrong side (the smallest and innovative enterprises, and a relevant partof the best graduates) while, on the contrary, many of the “newly rich” emergethanks to their private income or real estate investments which multiply theirvalue. Inequalities within democracies are not only growing but also themobility is decreasing, the shifting (based on merits) of individuals betweendifferent “income classes”; it seems, therefore, that the bond betweendemocracy and competition seems to be weakened 14 ;3. Finally, even if the number of parliamentarian democracies seems to grow, it iswithin the more advanced group of States that the confidence in such a regime,together with the turn over in the elections, diminishes more sharply.In reality, if it is true that democracy is the best regime possible, it could be that uncleWinston was wrong, that he was mistaken in his approach that was a little cynical andconservative. Most of all the feeling is that Churchill (or most recently Sartori orDahrendorf) is neglecting a fundamental element. Democracy is not an absolutevalue. It has to be judged in relation to the expectations of mankind and of thecomplexity of the problems it has to “govern”. Most of all, what some of the great‘elders’ are underestimating is the clear-cut separation between democracy’s formsand its substance, the necessity – that democracy has – to have to be always improvedto be able to survive.More in depth, to be persuaded of the supremacy of democracy does not mean oneaccepts its current configuration as unchangeable. If democracy – as a processthrough which the government answers to its citizens or as a mechanism that protectscompetition on a fair basis and not “disruptive” between groups that are fighting forthe power – is to be saved, it has to, in our opinion, make a leap in quality and such aleap will probably shed some of its characteristics – parliamentarian – that fordecades have defined it.What are the most serious limits of parliamentarian democracy? Which one emergeswith strength in respect to the characteristics of the new (Information) Society that weare building? And what does partecipative democracy really mean, which are thereform ideas that before long could be experimented to open new prospectives for thedemocracy that we know?12 Strangely San Marino’s republic (Italy) occupies the 17 th position with last year’s GDP variation of 7.5%13 Even if also Turkey and Albania are emerging democracies14 To this issue Vision has dedicated the work on the “Lisbon Strategy” for further details www.vision-forum.org6
The current limits of democracy’s forms are related to the moment of participation(and of formation of the political will) and to that of the government (and of realizingthat will).In both areas there are both opportunities that have not been taken as well asexpectations that seem to be ignored.Our analysis is articulated as follows (although as we said some of the chapters areonly framed):VISION’S APPROACH, THE QUESTIONS AND THE LIMITS OF THE ANALYSIS ................................................ 8The framework ............................................................................................................................................................... 8The limits ...................................................................................................................................................................... 121. ARE ELECTIONS STILL A LEGITIMATE INSTRUMENT FOR POWER ALLOCATION? .. ANDDEMOCRACY AS AN INFORMATION SYSTEM ...................................................................................................... 15THE PROBLEM OF ELECTORAL CYCLES. ........................................................................................................... 16THE ERROR OF THE ELECTORAL CONSTITUENCY BASED ON GEOGRAPHY ............................................ 20THE MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE GENERAL ELECTIONS. .......................................................................... 29THE QUESTION OF THE SCOPE OF OPINIONS .................................................................................................... 342. DO POLITICAL PARTIES HAVE STILL A FUTURE AND THE RISE OF NEW POLITICAL ACTORS? (to bedeveloped) ........................................................................................................................................................................ 373. ARE CONSTITUTIONS STILL USEFUL? THE PARADOX OF THE FLEXIBLE INSTITUTIONS (to bedeveloped) ........................................................................................................................................................................ 384. ARE PARLIAMENTS STILL WORTHY THEIR COST? (to be developed) ............................................................ 395. DOES TELEVISION STILL MATTER? THE OPPORTUNITIES AND THE RISKS OF THE “MANY TO MANY”MODEL (to be developed) ............................................................................................................................................... 40THE FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY: VISION 2020 ......................................................................................................... 417
Page 1 and 2: BACK TO DEMOCRACY 1In progress pape
Page 3 and 4: General elections UKShare of eligib
Page 5: 2. the inequalities; if we try, mor
Page 9 and 10: DEVELOPING AN INFORMATION BASED THE
Page 11 and 12: The changes of a democracy that ‘
Page 13 and 14: minimum expectations that are assoc
Page 15 and 16: 1. ARE ELECTIONS STILL A LEGITIMATE
Page 17 and 18: Such a loss of information is, in t
Page 19: The issue we are talking about is n
Page 24 and 25: of a much celebrated choice of bein
Page 26 and 27: democracy today and specifically of
Page 28 and 29: decide to divide her/ his own vote
Page 30 and 31: It would then be much more realisti
Page 32 and 33: Iraq). The vote was “obviously”
Page 34 and 35: Similar innovations may then be exp
Page 36 and 37: situations are not equivalent, and
Page 38 and 39: 3. ARE CONSTITUTIONS STILL USEFUL?
Page 40 and 41: 5. DOES TELEVISION STILL MATTER? TH
Page 42: We, in fact, also, think that the d

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