Question #5362a
2 Answers
No
Explanation:
Democracy requires the existence of several parties. The existence of a one-party system is the obvious that political plurality is non-existent which is an obvious feature of dictatorships for instance in Nazi Germany and the USSR. Only the Nazi Party and the Communist Party were legal in those respective countries which caused a tremendous amount of political repression.
`yes
Explanation:
George Washington was elected president in the first democratic election in the US. there were no political parties. Washington spoke against the existence of political parties.
Political parties come to represent ideas. Democracy needs to have a multiplicity of ideas so multiple political parties are helpful to democracy.
However individuals can also represent ideas. Political parties are not essential to having a multiplicity of ideas. One example was the Lincoln Douglas debates each of these individuals represented a set of ideas of how to deal with the explosive issues of state's rights and slavery. Douglas won the senate race but lost the later presidential race.
Most recently Trump did not represent the ideas of the mainstream republican party but still managed to win the election and become president. Neither the Democratic or Republican parties won the last election, an individual representing a set of ideas outside of the parties won the election.
If there is only one political party and only one set of ideas that are considered to be legitimate democracy is not possible. Thais why Nazi Germany, Communistic Russia, and Theocratic Muslim Countries could not be democratic.
If there is only one political party it must be open to a multiplicity of ideas. People must be able to debate and vote on the different ideas and policies within that one political party. The people must be able to choose who will best represent and lead the people not the political establishment of the party. Only in this manner can a single political party represent democracy.
Political correctness that makes some ideas unacceptable for expression in the public square are anti democratic. Only Countries with strong protections of freedom of speech will be able to remain democratic.
