Gabriel Thomas R. Garcia Dr.

Belen Tangco,
Ph.D.
Democracy: Theory and Practice

Reflection and Learnings

For quite some time now, I have been pondering the nature of democracy and its overall

trajectory not just for the country but around the globe. The recent 2022 elections in the

country have been polarizing to say the least. In it, an overwhelming number of the electorate

voted for a candidate whose father is credited as one of the most brutal, repressive, and anti-

democratic periods in the country. Without a doubt, a lot of ink will be devoted in studying the

voters, but what does this say about democracy? Listening to my colleagues tonight, it is

evident that they have a deep appreciation and understanding of the nature of democracy.

That its an evolving concept; that it is a reflection of the times; that empirically it has a

procedural and substantial dimension and so on. All are insightful and all have very real

implications not just in terms of policy but also in terms of individual morality. That is why the

meaning of democratic values can only be appreciated and contextualized when those values

are used in the advancement and improvement of people’s lives. For example, the right to vote

is a wholehearted wish for positive change. Democracy endures because the values it espouses

are timeless and rooted in a moral good that is simply absent in other systems of government.

The irony here is that because people belief in democracy’s potential is so potent, the instance

wherein those expectations are disappointed is the instance democracy is undermined. Specific

emphasis is given to democratic backsliding and how it is one of the most troubling aspects of

our time. Hence, the need to make democracy deliver for the many is one of the things I wish to

discover and deepen my understanding in this course.