Property-owning democracy

See also Democracy. This topic is also related to, but distinct from Social democracy.
Property-owning democracy
A system of social organisation.
Part of John Rawls' five structures of social institutions.
Caused byThe idea of a property-owning democracy derived from Western political thought.
GoalsEnabling a fairer distribution of property and political power.
MethodsThis system is implemented through policy reform.
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A property-owning democracy is a social system whereby state institutions enable a fair distribution of productive property across the populace generally, rather than allowing monopolies to form and dominate.[1]: 168  This intends to ensure that all individuals have a fair and equal opportunity to participate in the market. It is thought that this system is necessary to break the constraints of welfare-state capitalism and manifest a cooperation of citizens, who each hold equal political power and potential for economic advancement.[2]: 12  This form of societal organisation was popularised by John Rawls, as the most effective structure amongst four other competing systems: laissez-faire capitalism, welfare-state capitalism, state socialism with a command economy and liberal socialism.[3] The idea of a property-owning democracy is somewhat foreign in Western political philosophy, despite issues of political disenfranchisement emerging concurrent to the accelerating inequality of wealth and capital ownership over the past four decades.[4]: 4 

  1. ^ Amrit Ron, "Visions of Democracy in 'Property-Owning Democracy': Skelton to Rawls and Beyond", History of Political Thought 29, no. 1 (2008), 168–187, JSTOR 26224022.
  2. ^ Alan Thomas, Republic of Equals: Predistribution and Property-Owning Democracy (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016). doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190602116.001.0001
  3. ^ John Rawls, Justice as Fairness: A Restatement (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2001).
  4. ^ Martin O'Neill and Thad Williamson, "Introduction", in The Requirements of Justice and Liberal Socialism, eds. Martin O'Neill and Thad Williamson (Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, 2012), 1–14.