It is no accident that on the whole there was more beauty and decency to be found in the life of the small peoples, and that among the large ones there was more happiness and content in proportion as they had avoided the deadly blight of centralization. Least of all shall we preserve democracy or foster its growth if all the power and most of the important decisions rest with an organization far too big for the common man to survey or comprehend. Nowhere has democracy ever worked well without a great measure of local self-government, providing a school of political training for the people at large as much as for their future leaders.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Hayek argues that small communities often exhibit more beauty and decency because they avoid centralization, which undermines democracy by concentrating power beyond the common man's understanding.
- In plain terms
- Small groups work better for democracy because big central governments are too hard for regular people to understand or control.
- What can you take from it?
- Democracy needs local self-government to function properly and train citizens.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How much power should local communities hold?
- Can democracy survive without local institutions?
Another view
Some complex national issues may require centralized coordination that local governments cannot handle.
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