Theory of Democratic Government

Chapter 2

The Theory of Democratic Government

• Ancient Greeks classified governments by the number of citizens involved in the process

A. The classifications run as a continuum– Autocracy— Rule by One– Oligarchy- Rule by few– Democracy – Rule by many

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B. Democracy has a symbolic value that overshadows its meaning

a. many of the world’s political parties contain it.

b. example

North Korea is the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

c. It is not enough to know that the people

govern one needs to know

WHO the people are and HOW they govern

There are 2 Schools of thought about what constitutes a democracy

2) The Procedural View

A. Who should participate?– everyone universal participation

3) How much should each participant’s vote count?

Equally ---which leads to political equality

4) How many votes needed for a decision?

• a. MAJORITY leads to majority rule

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b. The above can only happen in a DIRECT DEMOCRACY

1) INDIRECT Democracy- Representative citizens choose representatives

to make official decisions for them

c. RESPONSIVENESS- states that elected representatives should respond to public opinion

-they should do what the “majority” want no matter

-this principle is unsettling to some people, who fear the enactment of “undemocratic” decisions as a

response to majority rule

5. SUBSTANTIVE View

evaluates democracy on the basis of the substance of government policies

a. Most Substantive Theorists require

that democratic government must

*****Guarantee CIVIL RIGHTS & Liberties

b. Some would add social and economic rights to the list

Theories of Democracy-----

Procedural vs. Substantive

1. Universal Participation 1. Government Policies should Guarantee Civil Rights

2. Majority Rule Freedoms of……Religion, Speech, Press

3. Political Equality 2. Social Rights4. Responsiveness 3. Economic Rights

a. Direct Democracy =Participatory democracy

b. Representative DemocracyRepublic – Indirect democracy

PROCEDURAL PROBLEMS SUBSTANTIVE PROBLEMS***Clashes with Minority Rights does not provide precise or clear criteria to determine

what is democratic

II. INSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRATIC MODELS--4

A. REPRESENTATIVE MODEL

Has to have some means to determine what people want.

1) the use of Institutional Mechanisms!!!

establishes procedures to promote government

responsiveness.

Examples:

ELECTIONS, POLITICAL PARTIES, INTEREST GROUPS

B. MAJORITARIAN MODEL -Classic theory of Democracy

1. Rule by the People

2. Assumes Mass Participation

3. Assumes the People are well informed!

Encourages citizens to participate through theInitiatives, Referendum, and Recall

C. Pluralist MODEL-developed to accommodate the reality that people are not well informed about their government

1) based on the idea of pluralism, that people form groups along ECONOMIC, religious, ethnic or cultural lines.

2) INTEREST GROUPS are created to influence policy makers

3) pluralists interpret democracy as government by the people operating through competing interest groups.

4) this model also favors a DECENTRALIZATION and organizationally complex gov’t. It also gives people OPEN ACCESS to public officials who consider their views.

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MODELS OF DEMOCRACY

MAJORITARIAN PLURALIST

Government by the majority of the people Government by the people operatingthrough competing interest groups

Institutional mechanisms used- Pluralism: groups share economic,example- Elections religious, ethnic or

cultural interests

21 states allow for Decentralized Government *Initiatives Multiple centers of power *Referendums *Recalls Responsiveness to

ORGANIZED Groups not mass public opinion

Citizens can control their government If they have adequate mechanisms **Allows minority groups to rulefor popular participation However not all groups have

equal influence on government decisions

Also assumes citizens are knowledgeable about government and want to participate

D. Elite Theory--An Undemocratic Model:

• 1) assumes that important government decisions are made by a SMALL but powerful group of people who have great

WEALTH and extensive business connections

2)Elite theory holds that ONE small group RULES rather than MANY different groups who win on different issues.

3) Research suggests that an identifiable elite does NOT regularly win on government issues. (however ALEC- The American Legislative Exchange

Council, counts among its members some 2,000 state legislators

and corporate executives is becoming questionable)

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• Controversial theory that important government decisions made by small group of wealthy businesspeople

– Control key financial, communications, industrial, and government institutions

– Define issues and effect outcomes to serve their interests

– According to elite theory, U.S. is an oligarchy

– ***U.S. Gov’t can better be described as Pluralistic rather than elitist, however all groups are NOT EQUALLY REPRESENTED in the political system.

Elite Theory vs. Pluralist Theory

• Key difference is durability of ruling minority

• Pluralist theory involves struggle between competing interest groups

– Wealthy groups do not always win, but

do have an advantage– Poorer groups usually not organized well

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III. Establishing Democracies

Democratization is occurring in numerous countries today

A. Countries have to now take into account

MARKET economies and the

COMMUNICATION revolution

B. Emerging Democracies are FRAGILE b/c

1) ethnic and religious conflicts (Iraq)

2) political and economic instability (Russia)

3) this instability often leads to attack by

opponents of democracy thus leading

to the question of legitimacy of the new

democratic government. (Egypt)

American Democracy:

More Pluralist Than Majoritarian

• American pluralism flawed because poor less likely to join interest groups

• U.S. political system not very majoritarian, but becoming more so because of increasing partisanship

– Some argue that ideological activists have “hijacked” the two parties

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Public Support for U.S. Policy of Promoting Democracy Abroad

• Americans believe in democracy, but are unsure if promoting democracy should be foreign policy goal

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