The Friedrich Naumann Foundation promotes liberal democracy, respect for human rights, rule of law and economic freedom.
1) Liberal Democracy
The term is essentially the combination between liberalism and democracy.At the core of liberalism is individual freedom and protection of that freedom. Democracy alone simply means majority rule, which in practice can mean tyranny by a majority. As such, a majority can decide to harm minorities or passes a law that puts ethic minorities at disadvantage.
In a liberal democracy, there are safeguards to protect minorities through a constitutional procedure and due democratic process.This means that when it comes to passing a bill, special provisions that exist for minorities must be considered. The majority cannot pass a law that benefit them but that will infringe on the rights of minorities.If they do, the latter can, for instance, appeal to the constitutional court.
In a liberal democracy, the rights and interests of minorities--whoever they happen to be at any particular time--are respected and protected.Such a society observes the rule of law, which limits the power of the state and ensures judicial independence.It employs a system of constitutional checks and balances to enable public scrutiny of government actions and to ensure that a government does not have absolute power to do whatever it pleases.
A liberal democracy prizes pluralism and tolerance. It sees dissent and disagreement as being normal and even as something positive.A majority might be right or wrong.If it is wrong, it is the process of open discussion and debate between people of different convictions and opinions that can put things right. Without discussion, there is no way to find out what people want and what better solutions there might be.
A liberal democracy can take the form of a constitutional republic or a constitutional monarchy.
2) Respect for Human Rights
Human rights are rights that the individual deserves to enjoy as a human being and member of a society. They protect the individual as well as the freedom and dignity of that individual.Respect for human rights is essential to social stability and peace while human rights abuses breed resentment, hatred and unrest.
The basic human rights pertain to:
It is essentially the rights to life and inviolability of the person. They include the prohibition of torture, of arbitrary incarceration or forced labour and of arbitrary interference with a person’s privacy, family, home or correspondence.
It is, first and foremost, freedom from slavery. Liberty also encompasses freedom to choose a religion, to express ideas and opinions, to assemble peacefully, to form or join an association, to move or reside in one’s home country, to leave and return to one’s own country.
Individuals have the right to own property alone as well as in association with others, and the state cannot take it away arbitrarily. The right to ownership of private property is essential to the improvement in the standard of living of the individual and hence to the prosperity of the national economy.
The will of the people is the basis for a democratic government in which citizens can participate in the national or state government, either directly or through elected representatives. In a democracy, people have the right to vote and to run for political office, to form a political party or movement, to campaign and to stage or join a protest.
This concept guarantees non-discrimination and equal treatment before the law. They include the rights to seek legal protection and to defend oneself in a court.
Well-being and welfare
The rights to well-being include the right to a standard of living adequate for a person’s health and well-being, including food, clothing, housing and medical care.
The rights to social welfare ensure access to education as well as to a livelihood. They guarantee free choice of employment (no forced labour), provide for fair remuneration, protect individuals against mistreatment by employers, and give employees the right to join trade unions in order to defend their interests.
These rights are also termed “social and economic rights”.
Over and above individual rights, human rights also include:
Collective or group rights
Most important of all, these rights protect ethnic minorities against genocide and racial harassment. They also encompass positive measures that foster the development of a minority’s culture and resources.
To view the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, please click here.
3) Economic Freedom
Economic freedom consists of a number of ingredients, the most important being personal choice, voluntary exchange, freedom to enter and compete in markets and protection of people and property from aggression by others.
With economic freedom, consumers can choose what they consider the best for themselves while individuals are free to set up businesses or engage in lawful international trade and companies are free to compete in a fair manner.
When people are free and free markets exist, everyone benefits. The overall effect is an increase in wealth and well-being. Empirical studies show that the wealthiest countries are countries with high levels of economic freedom while the poorest nations are usually those with little or no economic freedom. They also show a positive correlation in which countries with higher levels of economic freedom enjoy higher employment rates.
Governments can reduce economic freedom through high taxation and regulation which narrow the scope for individual choice and voluntary exchange.They can also undermine economic freedom by limiting entry into certain occupations and business activities.
On the contrary, a state that pursues a liberal market policy that favours economic freedom will try to keep barriers to local and international trade such as duties and tariffs at the minimum or even at zero percent where appropriate. It also treats citizens equally when it comes to trade benefits and economic opportunities.
On one hand, this may affect local producers in certain industries in which they lack competitive advantages and therefore have to rely on government subsidies or some form of market intervention by the state such as minimum price protection or high tariffs aimed at keeping foreign competitors out of the market.On the other hand, it works in favour of those in the right industries where they have competitive advantages and can prosper on their own without subsidies or market intervention by the state.
Eventually, economic freedom and market economy benefit not only traders and corporations but also consumers. In a free market environment, producers or suppliers have to compete on quality, price and service to win customers who have the freedom to choose from a wide variety of choice.
Governments can improve economic freedom by
* Establishing legal structures that provide for the even-handed enforcement of contracts and the protection of individuals and their property against violence, coercion and fraud.
* Allowing citizens access to sound money
* Refraining from activities that interfere with personal choice, voluntary exchange and the freedom of individuals and businesses to compete.
Economies with a high level of economic freedom are called market economies.
4) Rule of Law
Without the rule of law, constitutions and laws are meaningless. The most basic idea underlying the principle of rule of law is that law is supreme. It is law that rules and nothing else. In a liberal democratic society, rule is made through the joint decision of democratically elected representatives of the people, not by the arbitrary decision of any single individual or group that happens to possess power.
As such rule of law imposes order. You can only be punished if you break the law. Law must apply equally to all (equality under the law). If it doesn’t, law itself is arbitrary – which would contradict the principle of rule of law. Rule of law also requires enforcement of the law.
Not just the citizens, but government, officials, lawmakers must abide by the law.A key aspect of rule of law is the limitation of power so that even a democratically elected official or leader cannot abuse his/her power without facing a possible prosecution or imprisonment. Rule of law ensures such limitation of power through a required separation of executive, legislative and judiciary powers.As a result, judicial independence is possible.
Beyond equal enforcement of the law, rule of law also protects minorities against discrimination and prevents preferential treatment for certain individuals or groups. When everyone is treated equally under the law, there cannot be any special favour or discrimination imposed through law.
Rule of law, also termed “government under law”, cannot exist in tyrannies or in totalitarian states because they do not allow equality under the law and judicial independence.