The Struggle for Democracy

The first programme begins Patrick Watson’s investigation into the meaning of democracy -- its origins, its workings, its weaknesses, and its future prospects. Mr Watson looks at the enaction of The War Measures Act in Canada to revoke rights, emigration from East Germany, and travels to Athens and Sparta to explore the very roots of democracy.

Patrick Watson’s search for the essence of American democracy takes him back to the Pilgrims on the Mayflower, and then forward through the issuing of the Declaration of Independence, the drafting of the Constitution, and the opening of the American West.

Looks at three African nations where western-style democracy has not taken root: Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and Libya. Watson considers why these experiments in self-rule have evolved along distinctly different paths. This episode does include an interview with Gadaffi that some 25 years later is rather interesting.

Alexis de Tocqueville wrote that the “tyranny of the majority” poses the greatest threat to individual liberties. Watson examines majority/minority conflicts in three democratic societies: the United States, Australia, and Northern Ireland.

Should the law uphold the rights of the individual or the interests of the community? Watson explores this issue with an examination of societies around the world and throughout history.

Citizenship in a democratic state carries with it not only rights, but responsibilities. Watson examines limits placed on citizens’ rights in India, the Swiss belief in citizens’ responsibilities, and women’s struggle for equal rights in Canada and Iceland.

The freedom of expression is one of the fundamental rights in a democracy. Watson illustrates the nature of this right and examines restrictions on it in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and Mexico.

In today’s world, the health of democracy seems directly related to the existence of economic prosperity. Watson explores a fundamental democratic contradiction: uncontrolled wealth promotes injustice, while controlled wealth limits freedom.

In nations facing the threat of insurrection or foreign military invasion, democracy is often in its most fragile state. Watson looks at three countries where democracy has been, at various times, under fire: Argentina, France, and Israel.

Can democracy survive in a world of nuclear arsenals and widening chasms between rich and poor nations? Watson examines recent experiments in democracy and concludes that democracy’s future depends on the determination of people to keep the struggle alive.