We tend to think about parliamentary democracy as the high water mark of human political achievement. Some countries are so in awe of it, they even try to export it around the globe. But, is parliamentary democracy actually a recipe for mediocrity? One late night comedian quipped:\u00a0\u201cIn a recent fire Enda Kenny\u2019s library burned down. Both books were lost. And he hadn\u2019t even finished colouring one of them.\u201d<\/i>\u00a0But let\u2019s circle above the question of individual capability and take a systems-view of how politics works.<\/p>\n
Status Quo:<\/b>\u00a0At the heart of parliamentary democracy there is a fundamental dilemma. Politicians have to get re-elected every four or five years. To get elected they need to be \u2018popular\u2019 on local issues. And, as Tip O\u2019Neill, the former speaker of the House of Representatives in the US reminded us, all politics are local. To state the obvious, being popular is the opposite of being unpopular. It follows that when politicians support unpopular issues (in Ireland, think septic tanks or water metering charges); they run the risk of losing their seat. So, this issue of maintaining popularity is central to being a successful politician. We say that we don\u2019t value Parish Pump (in the USA, Pork Barrel) Politics. We claim that we want to elect intelligent statesmen and women. Then, at the polls, we continually re-elect politicians who get the lighting fixed on our street or secure a house for our half-mad Uncle. Historically, the most successful politicians, like Bertie Ahern, understood this fundamental point all too well. They took the tip from Tip, and tipped the balance! Try saying that sentence after 12 Bacardi\u2019s and Cokes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n\n\n
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