Everyone does not gain equality in the market, which means there is denial of democracy. Explain
Answers
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Democracy As Equality
Thomas Christiano
Society is organized by terms of association by which all are bound. The problem is to determine who has the right to
define these terms of association. Democrats state that only the people have a right to rule over the society. And they
argue that citizens ought to be equals in important respects in making these decisions. What is the basis of these
views? We have seen that liberty accounts of democracy fail to provide a thorough understanding of the foundations
of democratic decisionmaking. In large part this failure is due to the dependence of these conceptions on consensus
within the society. They are unable to account for the basic democratic principle that when there are disagreements
over what the terms of association are to be, that view that secures support from a majority of the citizens ought to be
chosen. This is the problem of incompatibility. These theories also fail to account for the interests persons have in
democratic decisionmaking that explain why a person ought to be allotted equal shares in political rule. This is the
problem of trade-offs.
Although liberty over the common social world is incompatible with democracy, equality on its own may provide the
basis. After all, democracy implies commitments to equality, such as equality in voting power as well as equality of
opportunity to participate in discussion. Egalitarian theories attempt to derive a conception of democracy from a
principle of equality among persons. They acknowledge fundamental conflicts of interests and convictions in society
and assert that because of this lack of consensus, each person may demand an equal share in political rule.
At the same time an egalitarian conception of the foundations of democracy must include an important component of
liberty views that is often left out by egalitarians. It ought to accommodate and explain the importance of the
convictions citizens hold and the role of public discussion in democracy. Democratic decisionmaking is not merely a
matter of each person voting his or her preference. Individual citizens' preferences are formed in society as a result
of social interaction they have with others and the institutions that structure social interaction. It is important for them
to reflect critically on and improve their preferences so as to have a sophisticated appreciation of their interests and
ideals. A democratic theory ought to have something to say about what ect others' person rests are right. But the question still arises as to why it follows