Elizabeth Anderson argues that democracy has non-instrumental value, as its value derives largely from the act of participation of members of democratic culture, organization, and government . He illustrates this with the example of a non-democratic form of government, Singapore, where the regime claims to give its citizens what they want. She argues that while the same “goals” of society might be achieved, such as equality, this is not the same as achieving those same goals through democracy. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay This is because democracy has no final goal: it is useful in that it advances hypotheses about what might constitute the best society, and then tests them. However, if another idea comes along that might be better, it is given a chance and is put into practice, then evaluated. A similar example is the act of studying. A student may believe that guide cards are the best study method for him, but he will only get the best possible results if he remains open to new methods (a memory game, for example) and gives them a chance through trial and error, evaluating the results in short. Democracy is designed to follow this model of continuous improvement by holding officials accountable through community deliberations, referendums, and the ability to petition and protest. Another key point made by Anderson is that the practice of participation in democracy develops the goals of society at the community level. It is for this reason that a dictator, even well-intentioned to provide the best for his citizens, could never achieve parallel results. The fact that a person excluded from society would not engage in ongoing public debate and deliberation with others, and even the most knowledgeable advisor cannot mitigate this problem. Finally, Anderson argues that democracy has non-instrumental value because it involves the important powers of sympathy, autonomy, and intelligence. Through cooperation towards solutions, the public's collective determination of goals, and learning how best to live life in unison, these essential capabilities are developed and, ultimately, society as a whole improves..