Abandoning Democracy

(Spoken word, Milton Friedman)

Let’s be clear, I don’t believe in democracy in one sense. You don’t believe in 

democracy. Nobody believes in democracy. You will find it hard to find anybody 

who will say that if, that is democracy interpreted as majority rule. You will find it 

hard to find anybody who will say that at 55% of the people believe the other 

45% of the people should be shot. That’s an appropriate exercise of democracy. 

What I believe is not a democracy but an individual freedom in a society in which 

individuals cooperate with one another. And in which there is an absence of 

coercion and violence. Now it turns out that democracy in the sense of majority 

voting is an effective means for achieving agreement on some things. On things 

which are not very important. Really important things we require much more than 

a simply majority.