Governance in Democracy from the Perspective of Western Thinkers
Two British writers and thinkers, H.G. Wells (1866-1946) and George Bernard Shaw, believed that people cannot govern themselves and instead prefer a government composed of a powerful minority.
Critics aside, many advocates of democracy in the West are aware of what a powerful minority can do. McIver states: “The eternal problem of democracy is that it places its powerful groups in their rightful places and works to respect and protect democratic principles.”
The concentration of power is evident at all levels. A century ago, De Tocqueville predicted that both old and new systems would become more concentrated and chaotic.
The highest level of concentration is observed at the global level. The world used to be bipolar; however, the communist pole eventually failed, leading to a predominance of a single pole—America.
In the United Nations (UN), there is also a concentration of power and dominance by a minority. The UN Security Council, which consists of representatives from 15 member states, wields more power and authority than other parts of the UN. Among these fifteen members, five are permanent members with veto power. Among these five, America holds significant influence, and its demands are often met.
At the level of government unions, a concentration of power is also observed; one example of this is the trend of federal governments moving toward a more unified government. A federal government consists of several states, each with its own parliament and government. In contrast, a unified government exhibits greater centralization and a more concentrated power structure.
