Nationalism and Democracy

Nationalism has played a crucial role in world history over the past centuries. It continues to do so today. For many, nationalism is indelibly associated with some of the worst aspects of modern history, such as the destructive confidence of the Napoleon’s army and the murderous pride of Nazi Germany. Large numbers of people, descent in their hearts, have carried out unbelievable atrocities for no better reason than their nation required them to. Authoritarian and totalitarian regime have crushed dissent, eliminated opposition, and trampled on civil liberties in the name of the nation.

These horrors caused by nationalism seem to be at the opposite end of the spectrum from the promising ideal of democracy. As Ghia Nodia pointed out, many analysts view nationalism as “fundamentally antidemocratic” (3). What these anti-nationalists fail to realize is that nationalism has also called force heroism and even sacrifice throughout history. Numerous people have risked their lives to restore democracy and civil rights in their nations, when they could easily have chosen comfortable exile elsewhere. Indeed, nationalism is the very basis of democratic government because it unites the citizens as “we the people”, supports the common political destiny, and nurtures trust toward the government.

The most important value of nationalism to democracy lies in the fact that it has the capacity to unite individual citizens into a single entity with shared beliefs. Democracy requires a definition of demos or who are included in the game and who are not (Nodia 6). Wherever the boundaries of the playing field are in dispute, democratic institutions (such as participation, representation, or cooperation) simply cannot function. Thus, for democracy to o...

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...powerful forces in binding people together, nationalism is a powerful force capable of inducing people to act collectively, share burdens, and even make sacrifices for the nation’s common good. As a result, it promotes the stability of democracies.

The founding of a new government, by definition, does not merely mean the establishment of a governing structure; it denotes the building of nationhood. This sense of nationhood, with time, will invariably deepen into the passion citizens have for their nations. While extreme nationalism is destructive to both self and others, a moderate amount of nationalism is the foundation of our modern democracy. It unites citizen into political units, promotes participation in democratic processes, and stabilizes democracy by building trust. Governments are, thus, important because, to some extent, they help to promote democracy.