"liberal democracy"

[Laurence Horn]

On Jan 4, 2012, at 8:57 AM, James A. Landau wrote:

> from a news story on Netscape News, discussing the possibility of a re-united Korea:
>
> http://channels.isp.netscape.com/news/story.jsp?floc=FF-APO-+&idq=/ff/story/1001%2F20120104%2F4710.htm&sc=+
>
> "South Korea and its U.S. ally would likely balk at anything other than a Korea that's a liberal democracy, or at least moving in that direction."
>
> My problem: what is meant by "liberal" in the phrase "liberal democracy"?
>
> Is there such a thing as a "conservative democracy"?  If such a beastie exists, would the US be happy with a conservative democracy in Korea?
>
> Would "illiberal democracy" be an oxymoron?
>
> Etc. etc.
>
>     - Jim Landau (not partisan, merely baffled)
>
I'd classify Russia as a non-liberal democracy, given the constraints on freedom of press, religion, assembly, etc.  Maybe Egypt is becoming one.  I think it's the presence and enforcement of such liberties that distinguish liberal democracies from the other kind, which as far as I know don't have a distinguishing label.  "Liberal" is not the antonym of "conservative" in this context (or indeed, in most of the non-U.S. world).

LH

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