《民意的迷思》The Will of the People: A Modern Myth

The Will of the People: A Modern Myth by Albert Weale (2019). Google Books: Link

這本書出來的時候我想要翻譯成中文，因為當年剛好台灣經過歷史性的公投，很需要省思公投的民主意義為何，遊走在民主與民粹的邊界。我直接洽詢英國出版社，他們說繁體中文還沒有人翻譯過，也幫我介紹幾個他們合作過的台灣出版社。但是當我提議的時候，全部被打槍；台灣沒有出版社願意代理這本書。原因是因為這本書太短小了。 確實，英文非小說類當中盛行一種口袋型的小書，方便通勤族在電車上面閱讀。但是台灣普遍沒有這種市場；想一想，你很常看到捷運上有人捧著（非課本）的書嗎？總之，以下是我試著翻譯這本書的簡介，如果大家有興趣可以去找原文書，或是直接找我討論喔～

#王老師練習翻譯 今日的民主遭到民意迷思的狹持。民粹運動利用這個概念來挑戰推選出來的代表。當政治人物只滿足於激起民意，便無法完成自身職責，並作出負責任且勇於承擔的決定。大眾對政治決策的質疑也因而噤聲，就怕與民意對立會被視為是精英主義的表現。Democracies today are in the grip of a myth: the myth of the will of the people. Populist movements use the idea to challenge elected representatives. Politicians, content to invoke the will of the people, fail in their duty to make responsible and accountable decisions. And public contest over political choices is stifled by fears that opposing the will of the people will be perceived as elitist.

Albert Weale在此書中深究民意，並指出此概念依附於參與式民主的迷思。當決策選項牽涉到兩個以上的簡單方案，多數決便無法為問題提供清楚的答案。此外，由於政府必須詮釋公投結果，民意遂成為強化行政控制的手段—恰好與民意吸引人的地方背道而馳。In this book Albert Weale dissects the idea of the will of the people, showing that it relies on a mythical view of participatory democracy. As soon as a choice between more than two simple alternatives is involved, there is often no clear answer to the question of what a majority favours. Moreover, because governments have to interpret the results of referendums, the will of the people becomes a means for strengthening executive control – the exact opposite of what appealing to the people’s will seemed to imply.

作者主張是時候該破除民意至上的迷思。一個蓬勃發展的民主需要的是開放的社會：決策選項禁得起挑戰；議會功能得以強化；而民粹領袖勇於承擔。Weale argues that it’s time to dispense with the myth of the will of the people. A flourishing democracy requires an open society in which choices can be challenged, parliaments strengthened and populist leaders called to account.