Mutual Service as the Relational Value of Democracy

Kapelner, Zsolt

doi:10.1007/s10677-022-10271-2

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 43 publications

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“…30 Finally, I have previously argued that under the condition of deep social interdependence, which is characteristic of modern societies, democratic participation makes an essential contribution to establishing morally acceptable relationships between individuals who, through democratic institutions, can relate not as hostile competitors, but as partners in the common project of ruling their polity justly together. 31 On these views, the value of democratic agency lies in its essential role in allowing individuals to act as makers of justice. Of course, these arguments are not immune to challenge; they are part of an ongoing debate about the value and justification of democracy which is far from settled.…”

Section: Refugees As Makers Of Justicementioning

confidence: 99%

Why Refugees Should Be Enfranchised

Kapelner

2023

J Applied Philosophy

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Many authors argue that refugees should be enfranchised independently of citizenship. The enfranchisement of refugees is often seen as crucial for affirming their agency in the politics of asylum. However, most arguments in the literature do not explain why precisely it matters that they exercise their agency in the realm of democratic decision‐making, i.e. why it matters that refugees participate in collectively wielding the public power to which they are subjected, rather than passively enjoy protection against the excessive and intrusive exercise of this power. This leaves it unclear what value refugee enfranchisement realises precisely, and what function or role it is meant to play within the overall provision of asylum. My goal is to propose a plausible explanation of the significance of democratic inclusion from the viewpoint of refugees' agency. I argue that refugee enfranchisement affirms refugees' agency by advancing their interest in acting as makers of justice within the political context in which they find themselves.

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Section: Refugees As Makers Of Justicementioning

confidence: 99%

Why Refugees Should Be Enfranchised

Kapelner

2023

J Applied Philosophy

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What does it mean to have an equal say?

Kapelner

2023

Ethic Theory Moral Prac

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Democracy is the form of government in which citizens have an equal say in political decision-making. But what does this mean precisely? Having an equal say is often defined either in terms of equal power to influence political decision-making or in terms of appropriate consideration, i.e., as a matter of attributing appropriate deliberative weight to citizens’ judgement in political decision-making. In this paper I argue that both accounts are incomplete. I offer an alternative view according to which having an equal say is having a say as an equal. That is, having an equal say is to be defined in terms of citizens’ occupying a role of political decision-makers, i.e., the political office of the democratic co-ruler of the polity, such that no citizen is a secondary or auxiliary decision-maker; they rule together as equals. This view aligns with the traditional understanding of democracy as rule by the people while providing a coherent conceptual framework for specifying what it means for democratic citizens to have an equal say which incorporates the strengths of alternative accounts and overcomes some of their challenges.

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Voting Lotteries, Compulsory Voting and Negative Freedom

Volacu

2024

J Ethics

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Mutual Service as the Relational Value of Democracy

Cited by 5 publications

References 43 publications

Why Refugees Should Be Enfranchised

Why Refugees Should Be Enfranchised

What does it mean to have an equal say?

Voting Lotteries, Compulsory Voting and Negative Freedom

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