西方民主的内在困境及现实启示

The Inner Dilemma and Realistic Enlightenment of Western Democracy

西方民主在发展的过程中伴随着许多否定和怀疑,对于民主的评价尚未有一个准确而统一的评价。熊彼特将民主看成是一种用来选取领导人的方法,将民主的本质等同于竞争性的选举制度。这种经过异化的民主丧失了其实质与内核,使得在经历了第三波民主化浪潮的大多数国家,并没有达到政治稳定,反而导致了政治衰退。西方民主面临国家治理能力危机、金钱政治和福利危机等诸多困境,这些困境的出现有其内在原因,涉及国家自主性不足、选举制度的缺陷及民主理性衰退等诸方面。为此,中国应当有所借鉴,需要提升国家治理能力、凝聚民众共识,建设法治政府、加强民主协商,理性对话、完善社会保障制度,提升法治化水平,通过这些措施来加强对民主的理性认知,以此实现中国特色社会主义民主政治的良性发展。

The development of western democracy has been accompanied by many negations and doubts, and there has not been an accurate and unified evaluation of democracy. Schumpeter saw democracy as a means of selecting leaders, equating its essence with a competitive electoral system. This alienated democracy lost its essence and core, leading to political decline instead of political stability in most countries that experienced the third wave of democratization. Western democracy is faced with many dilemmas, such as the crisis of state governance ability, money politics and welfare crisis. These dilemmas have their inherent causes, including the lack of state autonomy, the defect of election system and the decline of democratic rationality. To this end, China should learn from the experience of other countries. It is necessary to improve the national governance capacity and unite the public consensus, build a government ruled by law and strengthen democratic consultation, rationally dialogue and improve the social security system, and enhance the level of legalization. Through these measures, we can strengthen the rational cognition of democracy, so as to realize the benign development of socialist democratic politics with Chinese characteristics.