In this issue:
There’s A Hole In The Bucket, Dear Anna;
There’s A Hole In The Bucket, Dear Anna
A host of procedures and rules have been designed and put into place as a way of ensuring that politics is conducted in a democratic way. But all the formal rules and regulations in the world cannot guarantee a substantively desirable outcome, and the results of democratic process are often ‘paradoxical’ to say the least. Rodney Crisp provides a case in point in this article about a name change to a council in Queensland.
The Immature Mature
Although there are legal rules about when we are supposed to suddenly turn from being a child into an adult, there is no guarantee that we will have developed the personal skills required by the demanding roles of adulthood. The lack of this guarantee is evidenced by the behaviour of many ‘adults’ in public life. Peter Kuttner reflects upon how the institutions of modern democracy often fail because of the lack of maturity in many of those who participate.
Triumphs of the Elites
Developed societies have always been characterised by hierarchies and class, by divisions between “ordinary folk” and “elites”. In political rhetoric, these divisions are useful for advocating a position. It is popular to celebrate the values and capabilities of ordinary citizens against the privileges and condescension of elites. But, as Martin Leet suggests in this article, these rhetorical strategies sometimes obscure more than illuminate.