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Western Exceptionalism: The Rule of Law, Judicial Independence and Transparency

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The West Versus the Rest and The Myth of Western Exceptionalism

Abstract

The West is allegedly exceptional because Western countries follow the rule of law, they have independent judiciary and they are transparent with little corruption. However, when the economy is left to the private sector under the pretext of economic freedom, the corporate sector accumulates so much power that it captures political and economic policymakers, leading to conditions under which the rule of law, judicial independence, and transparency are compromised. The rule of law is not applied to the rich and powerful, the judicial becomes biased, and corruption runs wild. When the laws are written in such a way as to favour the rich and powerful, there is no place for these ideals. While judicial independence typically means absence of influence from the executive and legislative bodies, it should also mean independence from lobbyists and bribers. Furthermore, inequality, which is widespread in Western countries, is inconsistent with the desire to uphold the rule of law and maintain an independent judiciary.

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  1. Department of Economics, Kuwait University, Shadadia, Kuwait

    Imad A. Moosa & Imad A. Moosa

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Moosa, I.A. (2023). Western Exceptionalism: The Rule of Law, Judicial Independence and Transparency. In: The West Versus the Rest and The Myth of Western Exceptionalism. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-26560-0_4

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