The Problems of Democracy: Zhang Taiyan and the Federalist Moment in 1920s China

This essay discusses the problems of democracy by examining the writings of the Chinese thinker Zhang Taiyan (1868–1939). The goal of this essay is not to promote Zhang’s political philosophy as a panacea to the problems of democracy. Instead, it uses Zhang’s struggle with Chinese political problems to clarify the complex nature of democracy—its source of power, its modes of participation, and its institutions to channel the people’s voice. Focusing on Zhang’s attempts to balance three competing claims of democracy—the protection of the people’s rights, the expression of the people’s voice, and the prudent exercise of power in taking care of the citizens’ needs—this article elucidates a “Buddhist-Daoist” model of democracy that is different from the American model of local autonomy and the French model of a strong state.