Liberty and equality are complementary, one supports the other This is particularly true of political liberty and economic equality. Politica liberty means the right to choose the government, to control its decisions nnd policy by making it ultimately responsible to those who elected it, anc lo participate freely in the discussion and direction of the common affairs ol the State.
Now the political liberty and equality will be possible only wher I here is economic equality among the voters. It is one of the lessons of history that those who possess wealth control politics and government. It ii indeed a vicious circle. Wealth gives political power and political power ir its turn provides more wealth and so on. In this race for wealth and power the poorer and the middle classes have no place. They have neither leisure nor culture to devote them to politics.
Thus political power becomes the monopoly of the few rich. Without economic equality, political liberty or democracy remains a mere myth. As Laski says, “If liberty means the power of expansion in human spirit, it is rarely present save in society of equals. Where there are rich and poor, educated and uneducated we find always masters and servants.” Laski concludes, “Political equality can never be real unless it is accompanied by virtual economic equality.”