Frances Moore Lappé, in her new book, Getting a Grip 2, makes a distinction between two understandings of democracy. One, the conception that dominates in America today, she calls “Thin Democracy”; it sees elected government plus a market economy as it exists today as basically fine, or at least the best we can hope for from a system of government. “We may have to keep cleaning it up around the edges,” Lappé writes, “but our democracy is basically complete–it’s the culmination of human history.” The other, “Living Democracy” is a quite different view, one that sees democracy less as a set system than a dynamic set of qualities–among them inclusion, accountability, transparency, and fairness–that animate not only political but also cultural life. Crucially, “Living Democracy” demands participation: “Democracy is not something we have,” she says, “it’s something we do.
In the excerpt below, Lappé develops her distinction between “thin” and “living” democracy. For more, see Getting a Grip 2:
How does it work?
Thin Democracy: The free market, along with government and corporate executives and experts, determines what happens. Citizens vote, work, and shop. A single rule–highest return to shareholders–drives the market, which does tend to concentrate wealth and power…and then influence the political process. But there’s no other way; tampering with the market would kill its efficiencies and our way of life.
Living Democracy: Citizens use their voices and values to shape public choices. They set rules to keep wealth continually circulating and to keep its influence out of politics. They decide what is a market commodity and what is a right of citizenship because it is essential to life. Moving beyond a one-rule economy (highest return to existing wealth), “values boundaries” guide the market from environmental protections to anti-monopoly laws. Citizens’ conscious shopping choices also foster healthy communities.
Who gets involved?
Thin Democracy: Only officials and celebrities have public lives.
Living Democracy: All citizens have public lives. As buyers, savers, investors, voters, advocates, students, employers, workers, and members of social benefit organizations, our actions create the quality of our communities and the wider world.
What’s required for effectiveness?
Thin Democracy: Public Life is ugly and alienating. No special learning is needed, just thick skins and big egos! (Plus access to big bucks.)
Living Democracy: Democracy is learned, and [as] we practice its arts–active listening, creative conflict, negotiation, mediation, mentoring, and other relational skills–we reap the joy of effectiveness.
What motivates people to engage?
Thin Democracy: Self-defense. Getting involved in public affairs is a necessary hassle to defend our private lives and interests. It is a burden free people must bear to earn our liberties.
Living Democracy: We humans know our own well-being depends on healthy communities and that only in public engagement can we fulfill our need to connect with others in common purpose, to make a difference, to express our values, and to fully respect ourselves. Engagement is part of the good life.
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