There are some books you can judge by the cover. [amazon_link id=”1845402626″ target=”_blank” ]In The Name of the People: Pseudo-Democracy and the Spoiling of Our World[/amazon_link] by Ivo Mosley starts out looking like one of them:

[amazon_image id=”1845402626″ link=”true” target=”_blank” size=”medium” ]In the Name of the People: Pseudo-Democracy and the Spoiling of Our World[/amazon_image]

What’s more, the blurb makes a point of explaining that the author is the grandson of the notorious fascist Oswald Mosley, so “he is acutely aware of the corruptibility of democratic governance.” The first chapters set out the argument that our electoral systems give us the illusion of people power but are merely mechanisms for a corrupt elite to perpetuate and enrich itself. The language is standard lefty academic rant, albeit more accessibly written than many such. ‘Here we go,’ I thought.

Still, the financial crisis, and the veils being lifted on the success of corporate lobbying, and the monstrous excesses of bonus culture, do lend rather strong support to the privileged elite idea.

And the book poses the interesting – still unanswered – question about whether new technologies and processes might make ‘true’ democracy rather more attainable. For the trouble with direct participatory forms of government, as opposed to the current system of electoral representation, is that the people have to be bothered to participate. And on the whole they’d rather chat to their friends, watch TV, play video games, and a million and one other things, before discussing political matters. Anybody involved in consultations or voluntary activities will know that very, very few people take part.

The final part of the book looks at some examples that have been more successful – albeit the same examples that crop up in every optimistic discussion of this kind. Porto Alegre, Christiania, James Fishkin’s deliberative processes. However, I don’t think it answers the questions it raises about the likelihood of participatory democracy driving out representative government and thereby delivering greater equality, higher environmental standards, a less dangerous financial system etc.

Personally, I’m still in the camp of trying to make representative government more accountable, as there are countervailing questions about whether the new technology-based mechanisms are making ill-informed populism and the tyranny of the majority greater dangers. But it’s an interesting debate and actually this short book is a better and more balanced guide to the issues than it pretends to be. The historical chapters are especially interesting and should help clarify for readers the distinction between representation and democracy, which is highly relevant to discussions about political reform and how on earth to start to rebuild general trust in the political system from its present shockingly low levels.