Money Power In Democracy – Social Networking Helps Level The Playing Field

The Economist Democracy index map for 2008, wi... 

Image via Wikipedia

Democracy is one of the worst forms of governance except for all the forms that having tried till date. Democracy is not a perfect solution but it certainly is better than all other options that mankind has seen till date. In such a scenario, it is important to maintain democracy in a pure form. The biggest enemy of democracy is money power.

People have been selling their votes since time immemorial. Some sell it for cash while others have sold it for better business opportunities. Trading of votes is not necessarily a bad thing because it compels the individual to compare different parties before taking a decision. However, the playing field should not be so unbalanced that a person with lots of money can simply demolish all opposition.

This is the reason why governments have limits on campaign spending in elections. Of course, there are ample loopholes that enable the rich to spend more than what is legally allowed without getting into trouble later. However, the fact that such limits exist means that a person who violates these rules can end up in trouble.

This is where technology can do its bit to protect democracy. An individual who collects small donations from hundreds and thousands of individuals on the internet can generate the same amount of funds as an individual seeking money from a few millionaires. The biggest advantage with the former option is that there is no scope for corruption or other such complications. Finding another contributor who is ready to pay $10 will not be very difficult. This approach will take democracy to the grassroots and keep it free of unwanted influences.