民主:一种利益均衡的机制——深化对民主理念的认识

民主理念经历了三个阶段或层次的发展:第一是古典民主,即"多数人统治",解决的是国家与社会的关系问题,属于权力归属的政治制度层面;第二是近代民主,即"精英选拔机制",解决的是精英与大众的关系问题,属于权力配置的政治体制层面;第三是现代民主,即"利益均衡机制",解决的是资源和财富占有与分配的关系问题,属于权力运行的政治机制或政策层面。在当代,应当特别强调民主的第三层理念。以分工、竞争与交换为特征的市场经济必然带来社会分化和利益的不均衡。因此,需要通过民主机制进行利益再分配,实现利益相对均衡,从而促进社会和谐。

Democracy:the Mechanism of Benefit Balance——Further Understanding the Idea of Democracy

Democracy experiences three stages,namely,classical one of"majority rule",modern one of"selecting elites"and contemporary one of"benefit balance".Now,the third-level idea of democracy should be emphasized because market economy of the work division,competition and exchange will bring an avoidable differentiation and benefit unbalance,so the democratic mechanism is needed to redistribute benefit so as to realize the relative balance of benefit leading to a harmonious society.