Theories of Democratic
Government
Definition of Democracy
• System of selecting policymakers and of
organizing government so that policy
represents and responds to the public’s
preferences
Traditional Democratic Theory
• Key principles that specify how governmental
decisions are made in a democracy
• Ideal democratic process should satisfy 5 criteria:
– Equality in voting: does not have to be universal, but
must be representative
– Effective participation: citizens have
adequate & equal opportunities to
express preferences
– Enlightened understanding:
marketplace of ideas; freedom of
speech & press essential
– Citizen control of agenda: collective right to control
the government’s policy agenda
• Issues that attract attention
• Problematic if one group has influence beyond its numbers
– Inclusion: government extends rights to all citizens
Traditional Democratic Theory:
Fundamental Principles
• Majority Rule
– Desires of the majority represented in choosing policy
• Minority Rights
– Majority should not do anything it wants
– Cannot infringe on rights of minority
• Representation
– Use people to represent others in governmental
decision-making
– Impossible to have direct political involvement by all
in large society
Two Types of Democracy
Direct Democracy
Representative Democracy
• All or most citizens participate
directly, such as in a small
town meeting
• Impractical in large
populations
• Even in Aristotelian Greece,
the “many” referred only to
free adult male property
owners
• Many states allow direct
democracy in which voters
decide on referendum issues
• Decisions depend on votes of
the people themselves
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Leaders that are elected by the
people make decisions by winning a
competitive struggle for the
popular vote
Utilizes characteristics of both
presidential and parliamentary
systems of government
Leaders must communicate
without many restrictions
Voters need to believe a
meaningful choice exists in
competition
Leaders must make compromises to
connect a majority of voters, which
can balance out radical candidates
with well-rounded contenders
American Democracy
• Framers believed the “will of the people” was not
synonymous with the “public good” or “common interest”
• Different factions would make it difficult to govern
– Factions would need to come together and form coalitions
– Larger republics provide more
moderate views
– So, gov’t should be father away
since the people don’t always
have the public good in mind
• Favored a “mirror, not mediate”
approach to popular opinion
• Saw representative democracy as a way
of minimizing abuse of power by a misguided majority or
self-serving officeholder
• Had to determine which offices were elected or appointed
Contemporary Theories
• The real question: Who really governs?
• 3 Contemporary Theories:
– Pluralist
– Elite & Class
– Hyperpluralism
Pluralist Theory
• Policies are passed due to which interest is more representative of
the views of Americans
• Large spectrum of input from competing interests
• Groups with shared interests influence public policy by pushing for
decisions that respond to their concerns
• Optimistic that the “public interest” will prevail through bargaining &
compromise
• “All active and legitimate groups in the population can make
themselves heard at some crucial stage in the process” –Robert Dahl
– No one group controls a majority of the political process
– Enough political resources are available that big business cannot lock out
every issue
– Requires Americans to be “joiners” in the political process
– Have we joined?
• Technology isolates people
• More involved in self-defined ways instead of in groups
Power Elite Theory
• Government is dominated by a few top leaders, most of
whom are outside of government
– Members of the economic elite & policy-planning networks
– Power is not in the hands of elected representatives
• Stands in opposition of pluralism
• Society is divided among class lines
– Upper class elite hold significant power
– Wealth is basis of power
– The wealthy will rule
• Also: high political leaders, major corporate owners &
executives, & high ranking military officers
• Wealthy can afford to finance
election campaigns & control
key institutions like corporations
• “The people who own the country ought to govern it” –
John Jay
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Bureaucratic
View
Government officials & workers are the ones
who exercise power by helping write policies
into existence (not the elected representatives)
• Appointed officials are mostly invisible to the
average person
• Implement & make policies to suit their
interests and ideas
• Theory created by Max Weber
– Institutions allow bureaucrats to control them, as to
maintain & control the government more easily
– Desirable to some extent, as expertise &
specialization allow bureaucrats to make better
decisions
Hyperpluralism
• Groups are so strong that the
government is weakened
• Results from extreme form of Pluralism
• Groups treat government as their servant
– Push for own policies at whatever level and
branch of gov’t may result in their favor
– Create battlegrounds at national, state, and local
levels in executive, legislative, and judicial
branches
• Government responds to all groups, creating
policies that are confusing, contradictory, and
muddled
– Public interest isn’t well served
Journal Entry
• Which theory do you think has the most
merit and why: Pluralist, Elite, or
Hyperpluralism?