Final answer:
Democracy is preferred for policymaking as it incorporates wider societal interests, offers safeguards against oppression, and requires leaders to respond to citizens' needs. Despite challenges like media and corporate influence, democracy provides mechanisms for accountability, which can lead to better societal outcomes than autocracy.
Step-by-step explanation:
Democracy is often considered better than autocracy when it comes to policymaking because it includes the collective opinions and interests of the citizens. This results in policies that more accurately represent the desires and needs of the wider society. By allowing everyone an equal say, democracies may reduce the risk of a small group of individuals wielding disproportionate power and oppressing the masses. Moreover, democratic leaders, being elected through votes, must be responsive to the needs of their constituents to remain in power. This contrasts with autocratic systems, where decision-making rests with a single individual or a small group, often leading to policies that serve their interests rather than the public good.
Furthermore, democracy provides safeguards against populism and enables responsive and inclusive governance. Systems of representative democracy combine the practicality of electing representatives to make decisions with the philosophy of collective participation. While the influence of media and corporations is a challenge, democracy still offers mechanisms for accountability and change. Notable thinkers like Richard Arneson and Amartya Sen have asserted that democracies, over time, tend to produce better outcomes for their citizens than autocracies. As democracy evolves, it continues to find ways to balance diverse interests and adjust its structures to serve society more effectively.