Democracy at Work: Austin, TX

Democracy at Work: Austin, TX

Prop 1 was voted down by the people of Austin, Texas in the conclusion to a highly debated move to deregulate the operations of ride services like Uber and Lyft. The proposition would overturn the decision that requires Uber and Lyft vehicles to be clearly identifiable, and prohibits these services from picking up passengers in traffic and bike lanes. The result of this vote keeps up certain regulations, but is this process Libertarianism at work?

Libertarians and Democracy

The idea of a Libertarian democracy is, to some, incompatible. The idea of Libertarianism states that a governing body should be utilized strictly to protect its people, and not to make decisions. This is Libertarian philosophy at its core. Here we see an opportunity for democracies to play directly in line with Libertarian values. The Libertarian thought is centered around freedom of choice and action, so long as those choices do not inflict harm on any others. When democracy works the way it is supposed to, the choices and freedoms of the people are protected. Given the assumption that laws to be voted on don't allow for the infringement of personal property or liberty, democracy serves only to protect the choices of the people. The chance of laws being up for vote that inflict the total liberty of people should be excluded by the Constitution of the United States of America which governments have a duty to abide by.

The Prop 1 Case

Prop 1 would overturn regulations levied against Uber and Lyft that require them to abide by certain "safety" standards. The idea of the regulations was to protect consumers from falling victim to situations that would put them in harm. Given the fact that there are regulations on these services is necessarily incompatible with Libertarianism. In the case of Prop 1, however, the people of Austin, Texas have made their voice heard and their local governments acted in accordance with that opinion. The regulations don't stop these services from operating, or make the market in any way less competitive. The stipulations that Prop 1 would overturn aren't in conflict with the basic protections given to us by the US Constitution. In this situation, the process of democracy was handled by the people, the actions of the governing body were only set out to protect consumers in a way they desire, and we saw the core of the United States in action in a way that is somewhat rare these days. We can't possibly say that democracy, in a case that serves citizens only by their desire in a constitutional manner, inhibits Libertarian thought. This may be the bias of a more Americanized Libertarian, but I firmly support the process of democracy in serving the will of the people.

When Democracy Isn't the Answer

There are still times in which democracy isn't the answer. For example: If times are tough and over half the population feels as if the richest Americans should pay a higher tax rate, democracy would then have the ability to inhibit personal property rights. In this case, we can't allow the option for the masses to vote for a policy that restricts the rights and liberties of others. This is where the constitution and Supreme Court are designed to protect the people. Our issue in today's America falls in two major places. First of all, the laws proposed by the United States legislators give the option for unconstitutional regulations to be levied. There needs to be a restriction on the actions of our governing body, but there is no dependable system to hold the government accountable. Secondly, democracy is not the system in which America abides by. Laws are created by legislators, more legislators vote on the proposal, and the people can only hope their representatives live up to their duty. Unfortunately, we again have no way of holding them accountable. The power of the United States needs to be restored to the hands of the people. Libertarianism allows governing power to be placed back in the voter's control. 

The solution to our issues, and the best way to see more cases like Prop 1, is to force legislators to move power back into a democratic system. A Libertarian government is the first step to making this a reality. It is time for the American people to take responsibility for our current state, and help further the movement to create a government that truly serves the people.