The elementary school elections in Please Vote For Me are an example of the type of winner-take-all democracy described by Juan Linz in “The Perils of Presidentialism.” Linz describes how presidential democracy results in a “zero-sum game, with all the potential for conflict such games portend” (123). Because the three children have nothing to gain from the success of their competitors (ie. no coalitions will be formed, there are no other positions to fill other than class monitor), the election process invites foul play such as Cheng Cheng asking a classmate to yell insults during Xiofei’s speech. It’s interesting and somewhat surprising that the type of democracy used in a Chinese classroom closely mirrors (at least in this sense) American presidentialism.<\/p>\n
Even the children’s parents, who grew up with a more traditional Chinese education that probably did not glorify democracy, became very invested in and excited about the elections. At the risk of projecting my own pro-Democratic, Western viewpoint, this shows the infectious nature of democracy. The role of the parents indicates that being able to elect a representative, even in as small a case as class monitor, is inherently appealing across societies and cultures.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The elementary school elections in Please Vote For Me are an example of the type of winner-take-all democracy described by Juan Linz in “The Perils of Presidentialism.” Linz describes how presidential democracy results in a “zero-sum game, with all the … Continue reading