Big to small- shrinking democracy

The evolution of society has undergone many processes, one of which is the establishment of institutions in many aspects of our lives. The political institution specifically is important in a sense that it affects the lives of many if not all the members within the society. Therefore the evolution of this particular institution to its current state and its ongoing transition to meet the needs of an ever-changing societal and global landscape is a matter of importance in the lives of all global citizens

Historically this institution began its process when man decided to live together instead of individually. They in turn, developed interdependence on one another to an extent where a network was established. Even though this network was primitive and was rather light in the interdependency spectrum it is however the beginnings of an era where the need for others became important. With the establishment of this network, there was a need to make decisions collectively as a unit. These decisions had to benefit the network in some way or at least point them in a direction in which they are able to complement each other instead of competing against one another. This decision maker was chosen under several requirements, influence and wisdom being the initial rudimentary requirements. This quickly evolved to more complex forms of selection in tandem with the ever growing complexity of the society. The criteria for the choice of decision maker or leader vary from society to society however the need for such a role is prevalent in all.

This role and selection process has evolved drastically over the centuries. In its current form it is known as a democracy having risen in prominence since the end of the era of empires. The development of democracy was inspired by the demand for more representation and freedom of the larger society, hence an important shift was initiated, and the power of the decision maker no longer rested in the hands of one individual however there was a collective voice of opinion when an issue was raised. Hence the views of the individuals are represented by persons who are aware of views and possible implications of the individuals represented.

This system works partly because there is the notion that the majority actually do have a say in the running of the state or nation state. This gives the majority a sense of control over how their lives are marshalled, through agents such as policies and legislation for example. Unlike in the past when there was unequal or no representation of the voices of the majority it now has an avenue to be heard. This system does have its drawbacks however and has failed or has been perverted in some form by individuals with a hunger for power and control. However these faults will not be discussed here, instead the question I would like to raise is; will democracy be able to sustain its appeal in light of the new challenge posed by the ongoing process of globalisation?

With globalisation there has been an increase in the movement of individuals across many borders. This has resulted in a more uniform version of democracy to be adopted by many nation states to aid in the movement of individuals. Nation states are now forming into larger regional groups to discuss and decide on matters pertaining to the progress of the particular region. With the collectivisation of the states to a more regional form, would it be a mirror of the empires of old? In a sense the implications of decisions made affect a wide range of people, some of whom might suffer as a result of new policies or laws passed. Would this not undermine the entire basis of a democracy since the voice of particular peoples are no longer heard? It does not imply however that local governments, would be able to satisfy everyone’s needs when a legislation is passed however smaller areas of governance would not differ greatly in terms of social conditions therefore such policy or legislation would not have a large detrimental effect on the local economy or local people. A regional decision that tries encompass many areas at once will surely not be able to satisfy all regions and worse of all might leave some in a precarious position.

Therefore instead of expanding and collectivising democracies, perhaps for democracy to remain relevant and true to its basic function a reversal needs to be sought, which would bring about many smaller states instead of a larger regional fraternity. These smaller states will be able to satisfy the needs of the people more effectively, not only from an economic viewpoint but also culturally as well.