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Noalternativetoliberaldemocracy?,SamuelAbrahám
Opinion&Analysis
11
liberaldemocracy.Indeed,goodconstitutionsareapreconditionbutnotaguarantee
ofafairdistributionofpower,wherenoonebranchdominatesovertheothertwo.
Whatdoesliberaldemocracystandfor?
Aliberaldemocraticformofgovernmentistheculminationofliberalism,both
instructureandinthemanifestationofitscorepractices,normsandvalues.Asan
ideology,liberalismwentthroughamajortransformationanditsvariousstrands
havehelpedshapethepoliticalspectrumofmanypresent-dayliberaldemocracies.
Tereasonforitsevolutionisduetotheconstantadjustmentsmadewhenpoliti-
calenvironmentschange.Liberaldemocracies,bytheirverynature,arealways
inacompetitivemodeandaremoreusedtoconfrontingenemiesandrivals.As
philosopherErnestGellnerremarkedwithsomesatisfaction,20thcenturyliberal
democraciesdefeateditsenemieswiththeirownweapons–fascismmilitarilyand
communismeconomically.
Terearebasictenetsofmodernliberalismthatdistinguishitfromotheride-
ologies:itmustbepresenttosecurejusticeandfreedomforitscitizens;itmust
guaranteeconstitutionaldemocraticgovernance,freeelections,religioustolerance,
freedomofspeech,afreepressandthefreemovementofpeople.Accordingto
politicaltheoristStephenHolmes,itmustalsocontainthepowerofpoliceand,at
thesametime,fosterafreemarket.Forindividuals,theregimemustprovideper-
sonalsecuritysothattheycanhavetheimpartialityofthejudiciary.Testatemust
alsobeaguarantorofindividualfreedombothfromoutsideinterference(negative
freedom)andtoguaranteecitizenstherighttoparticipateinthepoliticalprocess
(positivefreedom).Finally,thedemocratically-electedmajoritymustrespectits
politicaloppositionandgrantequalrightstomembersofminoritygroups.One
cantrulyspeakaboutliberaldemocracyonlyafteralltheseconditionsaremet–
onethatisnotonlydemocraticbutalsofulfilsthenormsofajustandfreesociety.
Partoftheconfusionisthatintheearly19thcenturyliberalsdwelledonthe
Lockeanperceptionthatfavoursprotectionofprivatepropertyandindividual
libertyandAdamSmith’spreferenceforaweakstateinordertofosterlaissez
fairecapitalism.Curiously,theseprinciplesarealsoheldbymanypresentday
conservatives.Telateliberals,whoseviewsarepoignantlyexpressedinthewrit-
ingsofT.G.GreenandJohnDewey,realisedthatfreemarketsmustberegulated
andprogressivetaxesintroducedbygovernmentsinordertoprotectthewelfare
oftheircitizens.Asaresulttheroleofthestateincreasedduringthe20thcentury
andthetaskwas,onceagain,toachievechecksandbalancesamongtheexecutive,
legislativeandjudiciarypowers.Lateliberalswerealsorespondingtopressures
