CIAO DATE: 12/03

Media Convergence, Diversity, and Democracy
A Report of the Aspen Institute Forum on Communications and Society

Abstract

The complexity of democracy is both its defect and its virtue. As an idealized conception, democracy promotes equitable social order through the counterplay of interests while the rule of law protects individual citizens from the arbitrariness of the state. In practice, matters are considerably more ambiguous. Contradictions exist between theory and action; the power and privileges of some people invariably make them "more equal" than others—social equity being a relative term. Even so, belief that democracy renders "the greatest good for the greatest number" constitutes the orthodox faith of contemporary civil religion. "No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all wise," noted Winston Churchill in his oft-quoted observation. "Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others that have been tried from time to time."

Full Text (PDF Format, 52 pages, 329 KB)