Border Control, Coercion and Democratic State
Talking Point
Assuming personal autonomy as the core value of democracy, Arash Abizadeh endeavors to explain freedom as a value in theory of democracy (Abizadeh 2008, 39, 40).
In his article, Democratic Theory and Border Coercion: No Right to Unilaterally Control Your Own Borders, Arash Abizadeh argues that committed democrats must reject the unilateral right to closed borders (Abizadeh 2008). Abizadeh considers that freedom serves personal autonomy (Abizadeh 2008, 40).
Hence, his argument further contends that closed borders could only be permitted if such border closure policy had successfully democratically justified by a state’s members as well as non-members (Abizadeh 2008).
Abizadeh identifies personal autonomy as a feature of democratic state since personal autonomy in democratic state differentiates between subject and citizen (Abizadeh 2008, 38, 39).
While discussing about democratic state’s exercise of political power, i.e., enforcement of enacted law, Abizadeh brings the issue of coercion that invades personal autonomy (Abizadeh 2008, 41). Arash Abizadeh further argues that coercion must be removed, from to ensure the value of personal autonomy and democratic order (Abizadeh 2008, 41).
