Truth Telling and the Fragility of Democracy

Abstract

Democracy is a fragile form of government. Its success depends on a high level of public trust in its institutions. Trust in the system allows minorities to believe that in time power could be delivered to them. When this trust is maintained, the 'miracle' of democracy is that those in power will relinquish office peacefully to their opponents. All this occurs without the application of force. Trust in political institutions is seriously undermined when governments fail to deal fairly and truthfully with the public. The evidence is clear that the Howard government repeatedly and concertedly sought to constrict public opinion, and frequently lied to the public. Some leading journalists comment that such mendacity is unimportant, and that it is only to be expected of politicians. This article contends that, although truth-telling is not an absolute, systematic dissembling is a serious threat to the health of our democracy.