[Bread-Baking Typewriter] If We Create a 'Part 4' on the Crisis of Democracy

Last month's sudden state of emergency shocked and unsettled many citizens. This was something unimaginable in a normal democratic society. Our democracy never tolerates dictatorship by certain forces or serious violations of citizens' fundamental rights. If the National Assembly had failed to prevent the emergency, these principles could have collapsed in an instant. Naturally, this raises the question: is our democracy truly prepared to overcome crises?

Questions about the role and limits of democracy are not unique to Korea. In 2021, the United States experienced an unprecedented event where violent protesters denying election results stormed the Capitol. Moreover, democratic countries continue to face conflicts surrounding immigrants and have failed to present effective measures against signs of the climate crisis. Even wars persist in various parts of the world.

Author An Byung-jin offers answers to these questions in his book Imagination of the Fourth Branch. He begins his discussion by identifying fundamental flaws in democracy. The country he focuses on is the United States. He reexamines American democracy, which served as a model for Korean democracy and laid the foundation for the presidential system. The democracy designed by the Founding Fathers initially appeared robust. They introduced meticulous systems such as appointing competent elites as federal justices for checks and balances and establishing the Senate to prevent majority tyranny.

However, their design overlooked certain aspects. They did not sufficiently consider the possibility that those with assets would exert greater political influence. In reality, in the U.S., the wealthy participate more actively in the political process. They also underestimated the side effects of 'partisanship.' The Senate was created to prevent legislative dominance by specific forces, but today it often moves according to the interests of various factions. Optimistic beliefs that free exchange of opinions would be possible within the two-party system and that the president would not abuse power have ultimately met their limits.

These flaws are the root causes of today's democratic crisis. Due to the structure of democracy, it inevitably remains sensitive to voters focused on the present, weakening political functions that consider the future, the author argues. A representative example is the climate crisis. Although global warming is becoming increasingly severe, active responses are delayed. If current democracy continues, not only future generations but also non-human life forms will face an increasingly inhospitable world.

In an era when even minor political reforms are difficult, the author demands much bolder changes. He argues that the existing framework of democracy must be completely restructured rather than merely patched up. The core of this is the Fourth Branch. Following the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, he proposes a new power institution called the 'Future Deliberation Branch.' This branch would analyze and deliberate decisions made by the existing three branches from present, future, and non-human perspectives. If significant flaws are found during this process, it would have the authority to filibuster decisions under certain conditions.

The book contains abundant ideas regarding the composition, procedures, requirements, and roles of the proposed Future Deliberation Branch. Although it may seem impractical at first glance, the author advises readers not to limit their imagination and practical efforts. He emphasizes that if more people come to sympathize with this new narrative, the world will gradually progress, even if it takes time. This book calls for efforts and changes toward better democracy and delivers a hopeful message to us.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.