民主的政治成本

The Political Cost of Democracy

許國賢(Kuo-Hsien Hsu)

《人文及社會科學集刊》 17卷2期 (2005/06) Pp. 271-297

https://doi.org/10.6350/JSSP.200506.0271

摘要

民主做為人類歷史大潮之所趨，應是合理的及可欲的發展。但經營及維繫民主所涉及的成本，必須被審慎檢討，否則，恐將扭曲民主的過程並損及民主之根基。本文試圖批判地考察當代代議民主體制的兩項主要的政治成本，即選舉競爭的成本和政治庸俗化的成本，並思索紓解改良之可能性。本文將指出，唯有人民本身的自覺和自省，以及對於不斷學習的責任的勇於承擔，才能有效因應代議民主體制已然浮現的病理現象。

關鍵字

民主的成本 ； 政治庸俗化 ； 表演式政治

並列摘要

Observers of representative democracy have long been suspicious of the cost in operating it. Without a critical analysis of this cost, we would not be certain whether what representative democracy provides really outweighs what it costs. It is a political calculus that matters significantly. This article focuses mainly on two political costs of democracy, i.e., cost of electoral competition and cost of the politics of vulgarization. This author believes that only in examining critically the follies of the modern democratic process can we truly find out what we should do to make reforms possible. In short, the hope to reform depends upon citizens' willingness to undertake the responsibilities of self-awareness and self-reflection.

並列關鍵字

cost of democracy ； vulgarization of politics ； performance politics

參考文獻

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Arendt,Hannah(1965).On Revolution.

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Arnold,David(1988).Famine: Social Crisis and Historical Change.Oxford:Blackwell.

Bobbio,Norberto(1987).The Future of Democracy.Cambridge:Polity Press.