Term 2 Social Studies- Political Systems- "Democracy Creates Stability in a Society"

As Mrs Ong introduced the idea of democracy to us during the Social Studies lesson, it really made me wonder why I havent considered the idea of democracy before, despite living in a democratic society myself! I was simply intrigued, by how the country is run when people are given the power to make decisions for the country, especially for pure democracy, and whether this political system can actually create stability in the society.

Firstly, I feel that democracy ensures that elites, those in power, seriously takes the needs and demands of the people into consideration, since it is ultimately us, who determine their fate. This makes elites more accountable to the people, and also creates an effective division of power, allowing different groups of people to set the political agenda of the society, to create stability. An interesting observation I have made is that local parties usually announce perks just before the elections, to please the people and let them know that their concerns are considered seriously.

On the other hand, there is a problem I foresee. Weren't there times where policies and laws, especially new ones, are so complex they seem like a different language altogether? Hence a problem arises, as there are certain policies which have to be more complex than the rest, for example, laws cannot be simplified as they might become less encompassing than they should be. The average person might then not be able to fully understand policies, and are thus not in a position to make the best decision.

Then again, democracy acts as a way for us to check those in the governmental body, to make sure that they are doing their job well. This keeps them on their feet and work well, as those performing poorly or inappropriately could be rejected by the people. We wouldn't want the taxes we pay to go into incapable hands, would we? The constant check ensures that the society continues to perform well and thus remain stable.

Dont be so quick to agree, because then there is the issue of self interest, where people will tend to consider their interests before that of a larger community or society. Hence it will be difficult to implement a policy which will hurt a larger group, even if the benefit it brings to a smaller group or the society as a whole outweighs the damage. This might lead to the minorities’ rights being compromised, and lead to unhappiness, conflict and instability in the society.

However, just the fact that democracy allows for all us citizens to have a direct say in matters of the country, can already promote a sense of ownership for our country and a sense of satisfaction in the government, reducing unhappiness the people might have. To me, this is the key factor in creating stability, as people would then be more willing to sacrifice themselves for the better of the country, whether it is compromising a little of their rights or simply time, to vote or to learn about the policies, allowing the smooth running of the country and promoting stability. This being said, let us hope for the best for Singapore, no matter what critics define our form of government as.

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