论封建制民主——菲律宾的民主模式及其在发展中国家的普遍性

地主与民主之间的关系是民主研究的重要维度。既有结构主义路径和理性选择路径总体上认为地主是不利于民主化的社会力量。但是,菲律宾地主与民主的共生关系却对传统理论提出了挑战。西班牙和美国的殖民统治通过经济和政治的双重赋权,将土地私有制和自由民主制引入了菲律宾,由此产生的地主精英通过竞争性选举获得政治权力来维护和平衡阶级利益,从而实现了与民主的结合,形成了“封建制民主”。其内在机制是当民主的人民民主本质被改造为程序性的选举式民主时,民主反而成为保护支配阶级的一种工具。封建制民主是菲律宾陷入国家治理困境的重要原因。这一重大政治现象的理论启示在于,以竞争性选举为核心的自由主义民主的实质是保护私有产权,“自由民主”在实践上可以是资本主义属性的寡头政治,也可以是封建制属性的或其他属性的寡头政治,结果都会带来严重的社会不平等并导致治理困难。

On Feudal Democracy:The Democratic Model of the Philippines and Its Univer?sality in Developing Countries

The relationship between landowners and democracy is an important dimen?sion in democracy studies.The structuralist approach and the rational choice approach generally consider landowners as social forces that are detrimental to democratization.However,the Philippines case challenges traditional theories.Through economic and political empowerment,Spanish and American colonial rule introduced private owner?ship of lands and liberal democracy to the Philippines.The land elites obtained politi?cal power through competitive election to maintain and balance the interests of the class,thus realizing the combination with democracy and forming feudal democracy.When the essence of democracy is transformed into procedural electoral democracy,de?mocracy becomes a tool to protect the ruling class.Feudal democracy is an important reason of the governance dilemma in the Philippines.The essence of liberal democracy with competitive elections is the protection of private property rights.Therefore,theo?retically,liberal democracy can be not only capitalist,but also feudal or other oligar?chic politics.The consequences of these democratic models are severe social inequality and governance difficulties.