Reflection 4

After taking a look at many blogs, it is apparent that very few people, or none, support a world without elections. As discussed in class, it was important to a pro-democratic world to promote ideals of representation, public accountability, public good, and control. The most important question became what the ultimate point of the government’s function would be: to promote stability or to work for the public good? It struck me that the discussion was leading into something very similar to the discussion of sovereignty, and where democracy should or shouldn’t be promoted.

The fundamental argument of pushing society to be everything productive, and having an authoritarian government to help be productive can eventually segue accountability. However, because of our semi-ethnocentric views, we tend to view democracy as the only way that a truly modern society can function. Because of cultural prerequisites, elections may not happen in particular places in terms of a traditional or cultural argument.

Relating these concepts to the Federalist 10 by James Madison strengthens the real question of the purpose of government, as he talked about the fact that factions can bring new ideas to the political landscape. The purpose of government can be a middle ground for the sake of betterment or ensuring stability. Mediocre happiness is not usually the goal of many modern societies. Societies that succeed exponentially bypass mediocrity.