CIVIC VIRTUE AND DEMOCRATIC CITIZENSHIP 51
These ideas come together in what Emmett S. Redford (1969) calls
“democratic morality,” an expression of the democratic ideal resting on
three premises. First, democratic morality assumes that the individual is the
basic measure of human value. Our social and political system can only be
considered successful to the extent that it promotes the realization of the
fullest potential of the individual. Second, democratic morality means that
all persons have full claim to the attention of the system. While some people,
for example, may have more wealth than others, that shouldn’t give them
undue advantage in political affairs. Third, democratic morality assumes
that individual claims can best be promoted through the involvement of all
persons in the decision-making process and that participation is not only
an instrumental value, but is essential to the development of democratic
citizenship. The ideal of universal participation may take various forms;
however, Redford indicates some basics: “Among these are (1) access to
information, based on education, open government, free communication,
and open discussion; (2) access, direct or indirect, to forums of decision;
(3) ability to open any issue to public discussion; (4) ability to assert one’s
claims without fear of coercive retaliation; and (5) consideration of all claims
asserted” (1969, 8).