Abstract
It is commonly believed that democracies are freedom preserving. In a limited, consequentialist sense, this presumption may be correct. However, if someone were to look critically at an application of liberal democracy, she would discover that democracy is not as consistent with freedom as it appears to be. This paper argues that democracy is incompatible with equal freedom as realistic applications of democracy undermine liberty on both a practical and structural level. To accomplish this task, this paper discusses the role of group agents in a democratic political system. While voting allows citizens to express their opinions, voting cannot—in practical or theoretical terms—preserve equal freedom as a result of an individual vote’s lack of efficacy. By forcing individuals to act as groups, democracy undermines equal freedom.
Recommended Citation
Koreman, Samantha
(2023)
"The Incompatibility of Democracy and Equal Freedom,"
International Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities: Vol. 11:
Iss.
2, Article 6.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7710/2155-4838.1188
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/ijurca/vol11/iss2/6
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