法治:政治民主的底线与高度

Rule of Law: The Bottom Line and the Height of Political Democracy

法治是政治民主的前提和基础,而不是相反。法律的根本属性是说理,既是说理的依据,又是说理的保障。而说理是民主时代的根本特征,没有法律就没有民主。政治民主的底线,是保障人们有权基于自身利益在公共事务中发表不同于他人的独立意见,进而以少数服从多数的方式做出决定。政治民主的高度,则取决于国家权力是否真正受制于人民的权利,包括一切权力属于人民的宪法规定是否能够落实,法定的国家权力运行体制是否稳定有效并受到人民群众的尊重和信任,人民群众参与公共事务决策的活跃度等。这些问题的解决,最终都取决于法治发展的水平。

Rule of law is the premise and foundation of political democracy,but not the contrary. The basic attribute of law is reasoning,w hich not only the foundation,but also the guarantee of reasoning. The reasoning is the basic characteristics of democracy,no law no democracy. The bottom line of political democracy is to ensure that people have the right to express their independent opinions based on their ow n interests in public affairs,w hich is different from others,and then make decisions in minority being subordinate to the majority. The height of the political democracy depends on the national pow er w hether real subject to the right of the people,including all pow er belongs to the people's constitution is able to implement,the legal system of state pow er is stable and effective by the respect and trust of the people,the masses of the people to participate in public affairs decision-making activity. The solution to these problems,ultimately depends on the level of development of the rule of law.