« Outsourcing War: the United Nations Troops Get Some Muscle | Main | What's Wrong with Democracy and Capitalism? »
May 24, 2005
Sustaining Democracy: It's the Institutions, Stupid!
The problem with Islamic politicians isn't that they're positioned to take power in elections in the Middle East, it's that they could take power in elections and never allow elections again. Wherever Islamic legislators have had to work in a government of laws and get themselves reelected like anyone else, they've either tamed themselves or been thrown out by disgusted voters. Belgravia Dispatch and Praktike have both flagged this NYT oped making the key point: when Islamic legislators took office in Jordan, Morocco, and Turkey, those countries didn't fall into chaos or tyranny.
Islamist tyranny and terrorism happen only when Islamist leaders take political power and then end all politics: that's what happened in Afghanistan under the Taliban and in Iran under Ayatollah Khomeini. We've also learned that supporting "friendly moderate Muslim autocrats" doesn't work too well -- either the autocrat collapses when you're not looking (Iran 1979) or sends money to your worst enemies behind your back (Saudi Arabia until September 11). So we need to get democracy in the Islamic countries, even if Islamist politicians sometimes win. Our real dilemma is how to make sure the elections the Islamists win aren't the last elections those countries ever have.
We should know by now that one election doesn't lock in democracy. Palestinian dictator Yasser Arafat won a basically honest (if not snow-pure) majority in the Palestinian communities' one election under his rule, and his government wasn't "democratic" in any positive sense of that word. Venezuela's charismatic country-wrecking leader Hugo Chavez won his first election honestly too. Genocide poster-boy Milosevic was popular for a long time among the Serbs. Heck, even Adolf Hitler first came to power as part of a legitimate parliamentary coalition. So "took power after a fair election" is a test that lets through some of the world's worst thugs, up to and including Hitler. When we say "America wants democracy," we have to be pushing the world's dictatorships for more than just an occasional honest election.
The secret of working democracies is that politicians' power is limited not just by elections, but by institutions. I'm talking about the rule of law, the separation of branches of government, the limitation of powers to provide checks and balances. We take all this for granted in America. In the United States, the legislators have their own power base and the ability to frustrate the President if he loses their confidence -- as we're now seeing in the fracas over federal judges. Likewise, American judges, American soldiers, and American state and local governments all have strong identities of their own, with both laws and traditions to put sand in the gears of any attempt to turn them against the people or the Constitution. Even President Bush, a wartime President with a majority in Congress and a stated desire to rewrite a long list of American governmental policies, hasn't been able to shrink domestic spending, alter Social Security, deter California from spending money on the stem-cell research he disapproves of, or make a feeding tube be kept in the stomach of one woman in Florida. So much for the power of the Presidency!
What limits Bush on a day-to-day basis is what has made America strong for two hundred years -- we keep a government of laws and institutions. No one person, not even the President, can bribe or order or replace all the critical officers of the government. The most politically tempting government functions -- the Supreme Court, the central bank -- have extra layers of protection to make them hard to tamper with. And no one party, even in an across-the-board majority, can overturn all the government at once by command. The American government at any given moment is not a pure reflection of the current President; it's the sum of hundreds or thousands of elected officials today, plus the laws and appointments of thousands more who preceded them. In America, controversial big changes take time -- time enough for voters to change their mind. American governments add to or shift the work of their predecessors; they don't get to replace the laws of the country by snapping their fingers; the President is strong, but each major government institution, especially the Constitution, is stronger.
But out in the developing world, they have a government of men, not laws: every legislator and judge is a puppet for the leader. In Egypt, judges are paid out of "bonuses" from the central government according to whether President Mubarak's staff approves of the judges' rulings or not. In the Palestinian Authority under Arafat, all the money and real decisionmaking passed through Arafat's cronies, and the legislature could be ignored if it disagreed. In Venezuela, the Constitution gets rewritten to say whatever Chavez wants it to say. In Pakistan, the army is a world of its own, with its own schools and businesses and no need for the generals to obey or even acknowledge the existence of the voters' officials. Is it any wonder that elections in countries like these don't prevent tyranny?
So when we're pressing Egypt for elections, let's also press for more independent salaries for the judges. When we try to encourage good policies in Latin America, let's include more barriers to constitution-tampering as one of those good policies. When we go out and call for democracy, let's make it clear that to Americans, democracy means not just respect for elections, but respect for the election laws, and the government institutions, and the existing constitution of the country.
We can't give countries the kind of internal respect for democratic practices that we've got from two centuries of democracy. But we can push for laws and policies that promote government officers with limited powers, separated powers, and an obligation to follow strict procedures if politicians want to throw out long-standing rules of the country. We can't look into foreign Presidents' hearts. But we surely can track whether they're honoring their own laws.
When Bill Clinton ran for President in 1992, he had signs in his campaign offices saying, "It's the economy, stupid!" The economy was Clinton's one serious winning issue, and he kept his staff focused on it and they rode that issue all the way until they had trampled past President Bush Senior's uncertain campaign and gotten Clinton into the White House, in a demonstration of (among other things) the value of focus in a complex and confusing task. Today, it seems America is on a campaign to push for lasting progress in countries like Syria and Egypt and China. In that case, there's an obvious candidate for the campaign slogan:
It's the institutions, stupid!
[E1] Mudville OPL.
Posted by danielstarr at May 24, 2005 04:07 AM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.danielstarr.com/movabletype/mt-tb.cgi/40
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Sustaining Democracy: It's the Institutions, Stupid!:
» Sustaining Democracy: It's the Institutions, Stupid! from Sustaining Democracy: It's the Institutions, Stupid!
Sustaining Democracy: ... [Read More]
Tracked on June 9, 2005 05:29 AM
» plan to make a poker table
from Marianne Radaelli
Sustaining Democracy: ... [Read More]
Tracked on July 30, 2005 09:56 PM
» diet pills from mexico from diet pills from mexico
In your free time, visit the sites on prescription diet pill with cod charge [Read More]
Tracked on August 3, 2005 11:40 PM
» Black Eyed Peas
from Martina Weser
Sustaining Democracy: ... [Read More]
Tracked on August 10, 2005 07:00 PM
» fiberworks diet pill from fiberworks diet pill
In your free time, take a look at some information on best diet pills [Read More]
Tracked on August 18, 2005 06:57 PM
» free poker tournaments from free poker tournaments
Please visit some helpful info dedicated to rules omaha poker [Read More]
Tracked on August 26, 2005 11:42 PM
» video poker free from video poker free
You are invited to take a look at some relevant information dedicated to free animated gifs poker [Read More]
Tracked on August 27, 2005 06:32 PM
» adipex weight loss phentermine drug from adipex weight loss phentermine drug
You can also check out some information in the field of world best weight loss drug [Read More]
Tracked on August 28, 2005 10:08 PM
» bank of america from bank of america
bank of america [Read More]
Tracked on September 1, 2005 08:33 PM
» viagra from viagra
Please check out some relevant information about viagra [Read More]
Tracked on September 8, 2005 10:53 AM
» private poker tournament from private poker tournament
Take your time to take a look at some information dedicated to win poker chips [Read More]
Tracked on September 14, 2005 12:03 PM
» 2005 world series of poker from 2005 world series of poker
Take your time to visit some relevant information in the field of Adult Poker [Read More]
Tracked on September 16, 2005 09:39 AM
» free game poker superstars from free game poker superstars
Take your time to check out the pages in the field of free poker flash no download no subscription [Read More]
Tracked on September 30, 2005 12:37 PM
» Opeth
from Sotia Iwar
Sustaining Democracy: ... [Read More]
Tracked on October 4, 2005 01:49 PM
» macknuta from cdr clock digicam ds dvdplayer macknuta [Read More]
Tracked on October 7, 2005 10:54 PM
» zilktess from accordion acousticguitar banjo bass zilktess [Read More]
Tracked on October 9, 2005 01:07 AM
» casino royale from casino royale
In your free time, visit some relevant information on play roulette wheel casino [Read More]
Tracked on October 9, 2005 05:07 AM
» body piercings from body piercings
body piercings [Read More]
Tracked on October 12, 2005 10:43 AM
» butts
from Braolemann
Sustaining Democracy: ... [Read More]
Tracked on October 13, 2005 01:28 AM
» cheap order phentermine prescription from cheap order phentermine prescription
You can also take a look at the sites in the field of phentermine no prescription [Read More]
Tracked on October 13, 2005 09:52 AM
» world poker tour hat from world poker tour hat
You may find it interesting to take a look at some information about party poker strip [Read More]
Tracked on October 14, 2005 09:28 AM
» poker table from poker table
poker table [Read More]
Tracked on October 15, 2005 08:09 AM
» domain registrars from domain registrars
domain registrars [Read More]
Tracked on October 15, 2005 01:35 PM
» Ephedra Diet pills VitalBodyFitness.com from Ephedra Diet pills VitalBodyFitness.com
You can also take a look at some relevant information dedicated to diet Ephedrine Diet pills Diet pills VitalBodyFitness.com [Read More]
Tracked on October 18, 2005 09:25 AM
» mexico pharmacies from mexico pharmacies
mexico pharmacies [Read More]
Tracked on October 25, 2005 11:40 PM
» detox from detox
detox [Read More]
Tracked on October 27, 2005 02:52 PM
» nude-playboy
from Niklas Carlsson
Sustaining Democracy: ... [Read More]
Tracked on October 28, 2005 02:44 AM
» lesbian dildo from
ejaculation voyeur web boobs upskirts big breasts nice tit... [Read More]
Tracked on October 28, 2005 11:17 AM
» transvestites from
shemale hentai hung hunks shemale sex torture tranny surprise bizarre ... [Read More]
Tracked on October 28, 2005 11:18 AM
» free voyeur web from
voyeur pics free upskirt private voyeur upskirts voyeur sex free voyeur free voyeur [Read More]
Tracked on October 28, 2005 11:19 AM
» fat women from
fat albert rope fat people fat chicks fat girls painful anal painful anal [Read More]
Tracked on October 28, 2005 12:22 PM
» bukkake from
spanking videos horse cumshot bizarre bound and gagged whipping little april little april [Read More]
Tracked on October 28, 2005 12:50 PM
» mistress from
naughty lingerie asian bondage black stockings sexy lingerie sexy lingerie [Read More]
Tracked on October 28, 2005 02:15 PM
» threesomes from
legs feet footjob sexape footjobs sublime directory sublime directory [Read More]
Tracked on October 28, 2005 02:16 PM
» animal sex from
uncut sex in public atk hairy incest stories incest stories [Read More]
Tracked on October 28, 2005 02:17 PM
» sex with animals from
atk hairy free beastiality hairy men hirsute uncut cocks natural hairy ... [Read More]
Tracked on October 28, 2005 02:55 PM
» lesbian from
gay gay wrestling gay cum gay gay teens yuna hentai yuna hentai [Read More]
Tracked on October 28, 2005 03:32 PM
» deep throat and gag from
sean cody gay wrestling hot hunks shemale sex gay teens... [Read More]
Tracked on October 28, 2005 03:32 PM
» fat joe from
latinas interracial anal latin pussy large breasts latina les... [Read More]
Tracked on October 28, 2005 03:33 PM
» ffm from
cheerleaders nude wife gangbang hot cheerleaders free cheerleader galleries free cheerleader galleries [Read More]
Tracked on October 28, 2005 03:36 PM
» fitness babes from
naked babes big penis naked babes teen babes asian babes naked babes naked babes [Read More]
Tracked on October 28, 2005 04:08 PM
» horse fucking from
beaver hirsute women asian beaver hairy chests hairy chests [Read More]
Tracked on October 28, 2005 04:15 PM
» hardcore lesbian sex from
manga free gay movie clips final fantasy hentai hentai lesbian anime gay blowjo... [Read More]
Tracked on October 28, 2005 04:28 PM
» cum shot from
milf hunter teen girls masturbating bang boat cum on her face cum on her face [Read More]
Tracked on October 28, 2005 04:32 PM
» beach babes from
bikini babes japanese bukkake nude babes whipped cream nude... [Read More]
Tracked on October 28, 2005 04:43 PM
» onion booty from
petite vagina squirt horny teens camel toe teen midget sex carmen electra carmen electra [Read More]
Tracked on October 28, 2005 04:45 PM
» chubby from
horse fucking bestiality sex with animals animal sex zoophilia plump plump [Read More]
Tracked on October 28, 2005 05:36 PM
» face sitting from
asian anal asian thumbs asian girl asians japanese girls fi... [Read More]
Tracked on October 28, 2005 05:38 PM
» gay guys from
ladyboys spanking ladyboy tranny trick shemale cum hot anime girls hot anime girls
Tracked on October 28, 2005 05:53 PM
» twinks from
deep throat and gag gay teen sex bondage stories gay anal sex sex slave ... [Read More]
Tracked on October 28, 2005 05:53 PM
» midget porn from
sexy teachers camel toes rate my teacher sex camel toe pictures camel toe pictures [Read More]
Tracked on October 28, 2005 05:53 PM
» huge boobs from
big boobs pregnant pictures breasts sex toy sex toy [Read More]
Tracked on October 28, 2005 05:53 PM
» orgies from
sublime candylist tiava schoolgirls sublime directory group x bang bang bang group x bang bang bang [Read More]
Tracked on October 28, 2005 05:54 PM
» teen lesbians from
hot young girls teen titans shaved pussy young nude girls young nude girls [Read More]
Tracked on October 28, 2005 06:16 PM
» gay porn from
gay cum gay cartoons gays hot milf gay blowjobsgay blowjobs<... [Read More]
Tracked on October 28, 2005 10:22 PM
» twink from
shemale hentai lesbo transsexual love hina hentai love hina hentai [Read More]
Tracked on October 28, 2005 10:22 PM
» fat sex from
big dicks obese huge boobs hot latinas big dick fat joe ... [Read More]
Tracked on October 28, 2005 10:23 PM
» board of pharmacy from board of pharmacy
You are invited to take a look at some helpful info on compounding pharmacy safety [Read More]
Tracked on October 29, 2005 10:24 PM
» riverbelle from riverbelle
riverbelle [Read More]
Tracked on October 30, 2005 01:31 PM
» weight loss pills from weight loss pills
Take your time to check some information on phentermine weight loss pills [Read More]
Tracked on November 1, 2005 08:20 AM
» 1984 from 1984
Please take a look at some relevant information about 2389 [Read More]
Tracked on November 5, 2005 08:36 PM
» juegos apuestas portal from juegos apuestas portal
Take your time to check out the sites on juegos instantaneos linea [Read More]
Tracked on November 7, 2005 06:27 PM
» amoxil 875 mg from amoxil 875 mg
Please visit the pages on drug amoxil amoxil vicodin [Read More]
Tracked on November 10, 2005 07:02 PM
» cialis from cialis
cialis [Read More]
Tracked on November 11, 2005 10:15 PM
» adware from adware
adware [Read More]
Tracked on November 14, 2005 12:52 AM
» payday loans from payday loans
You can also check some helpful info in the field of cash money pay day loan direct loans [Read More]
Tracked on November 16, 2005 01:40 AM
» cheetala from carts cones drills earplug edger cheetala [Read More]
Tracked on November 17, 2005 03:14 AM
» stapada from airline antivirus anxiety arthritis asthm
stapada [Read More]
Tracked on November 18, 2005 12:12 AM
» ncaa college football betting line from ncaa college football betting line
You are invited to check out some helpful info in the field of mega-million jackpot [Read More]
Tracked on November 19, 2005 04:19 PM
» yippydak from parenting perfume petcare photos popuppopup
yippydak [Read More]
Tracked on November 23, 2005 02:27 AM
» flinish from afoot allergy bbq cancer cookbook flinish [Read More]
Tracked on November 24, 2005 01:15 AM
» fastdask from accordion acousticguitar banjo bass fastdask [Read More]
Tracked on November 25, 2005 02:51 AM
» cvs pharmacy from cvs pharmacy
coarse birthplaces abetter crush Rosalie!hemlock naproxen http://www.drugs-order.com/naproxen.html [Read More]
Tracked on December 7, 2005 09:17 PM
» hoodia from hoodia
integration sufferance linearities hyacinth:canadian pharmacy http://www.sudtuiles.com/canadian-pharmacy.html [Read More]
Tracked on December 17, 2005 01:39 AM
» free blackjack from free blackjack
compatibilities hunches.establish familiarity,bijectively unsatisfiable paths subslots blackjack http://www.epraha.info/blackjack.html [Read More]
Tracked on December 18, 2005 08:25 AM
» clonazepam drug from clonazepam drug
clonazepam drug [Read More]
Tracked on January 4, 2006 08:58 PM
» mainthin from cdr clock digicam ds dvdplayer mainthin [Read More]
Tracked on January 5, 2006 09:24 PM
» weight loss pills from weight loss pills
Thai glaciers besotted.alkaloid Brookhaven?tours!viagra http://www.just-pills.com/ ministry!viagra http://www.pills-sale.com/ [Read More]
Tracked on January 8, 2006 11:33 PM
» cheap plane ticket from cheap plane ticket
cheap plane ticket [Read More]
Tracked on January 9, 2006 02:17 AM
» virtual gambling from virtual gambling
virtual gambling [Read More]
Tracked on January 11, 2006 11:12 PM
» building society from building society
building society building society ht... [Read More]
Tracked on January 16, 2006 05:47 AM
» beneficial from beneficial
beneficial beneficial http://www.fundslender.co.uk/?kw=beneficial beneficial http://www.fundslender.co.uk/?kw=beneficial [Read More]
Tracked on January 16, 2006 06:13 AM
» Free Poker Tournaments from Free Poker Tournaments
free poker tournaments is nicblog [Read More]
Tracked on January 21, 2006 03:07 PM
» Free Ringtones from Free Ringtones
Free Ringtones [Read More]
Tracked on January 22, 2006 12:05 AM
» Online Casino from Online Casino
Be part of the Online Casino experience. Share your opinion about the show on our Online Casino Forum. This information will be reviewed and a determination of acceptance will be made based on Online Casino i... [Read More]
Tracked on March 21, 2006 10:48 AM
» blackjack online from blackjack online
Let us know about your blackjack online website and network blackjack online needs. Thank you for your interest in blackjack online. The enclosed material will provide you with information regarding http:\\... [Read More]
Tracked on May 25, 2006 02:01 PM
» gambling from gambling
Unless you become as little Children, you can't see gambling. All you need is faith and trust... and a little bit of gambling. visit the largest source of great gambling and more. Updated every Friday! Tha... [Read More]
Tracked on June 27, 2006 07:15 AM
» gambling from gambling
Unless you become as little Children, you can't see gambling. All you need is faith and trust... and a little bit of gambling. visit the largest source of great gambling and more. Updated every Friday! Tha... [Read More]
Tracked on June 27, 2006 07:15 AM
» immagine madonna cantante from immagine madonna cantante
immagine madonna cantante [Read More]
Tracked on November 28, 2006 12:43 PM
» mom and daughter incest from mom and daughter incest
mom and daughter incest [Read More]
Tracked on December 15, 2006 10:03 PM
» celexa breast feeding from celexa breast feeding
[Read More]
Tracked on December 17, 2006 01:42 PM
» free incest stories from free incest stories
free incest stories [Read More]
Tracked on December 18, 2006 06:01 PM
» ministero economia finanza from ministero economia finanza
ministero economia finanza [Read More]
Tracked on January 5, 2007 01:30 PM
» buffets inc from buffets inc
buffets inc [Read More]
Tracked on January 25, 2007 01:58 AM
» affirm from your
external [Read More]
Tracked on February 7, 2007 04:17 AM
» have from I agree
will [Read More]
Tracked on February 8, 2007 04:07 AM
» our from exactly
with [Read More]
Tracked on February 18, 2007 11:23 AM
» Rape Gallery from Rape Gallery
Rape Gallery [Read More]
Tracked on March 19, 2007 10:27 PM
» incest sex from incest sex
incest sex [Read More]
Tracked on March 21, 2007 10:08 PM
» long range tv antennas from long range tv antennas
long range tv antennas [Read More]
Tracked on April 1, 2007 06:01 AM
» Incest from Incest
Incest [Read More]
Tracked on April 13, 2007 04:06 PM
» Rape from Rape
Rape [Read More]
Tracked on April 14, 2007 09:24 AM
» Incest from Incest
Incest [Read More]
Tracked on April 14, 2007 10:15 AM
» Incest from Incest
Incest [Read More]
Tracked on April 15, 2007 04:29 PM
» Rape Porn from Rape Porn
Rape Porn [Read More]
Tracked on April 29, 2007 04:48 AM
» Incest from Incest
Incest [Read More]
Tracked on May 1, 2007 12:19 PM
» Rape from Rape
Rape [Read More]
Tracked on May 3, 2007 10:59 AM
» Rape from Rape
Rape [Read More]
Tracked on May 3, 2007 04:38 PM
» Incest movies from Incest movies
Incest movies [Read More]
Tracked on May 6, 2007 07:58 PM
» vasco da gama from vasco da gama
shit-happens 4344953 vasco da gama friends [Read More]
Tracked on June 17, 2007 09:13 PM
» art clip free kid from art clip free kid
shit-happens 4344953 Latest art clip free kid news [Read More]
Tracked on June 19, 2007 03:11 PM
» heel high man shoes from heel high man shoes
shit-happens 4344953 heel high man shoes author [Read More]
Tracked on June 20, 2007 10:43 PM