1. Democratic Theory Michael P. Fix

2. What is Democracy? Photo from freerepublic.com 3. What is Democracy? 4. What is Democracy? Photo from whitehouse.gov 5. What is Democracy? All pictures from www.nytimes.com 6. What is Democracy? Picture from www.freefoto.com 7. What is Democracy? Photo from supremecourtus.gov 8. What is Democracy?

Certain basic principles are necessary in any definition of democracy.

• Free and fair elections

• Majority rule

• Freedom of expression

• Freedom of assembly and the right to protest

9. 3 Types of Democracy

Direct Democracy

• Aka Participatory Democracy

Representative Democracy

Elite Democracy

• Aka Revisionist Democracy

10. Direct Democracy

demokratia

• Rule by the people

Built on the Athenian model.

Still present in US town hall meetings.

Is this practical on a large scale?

11. Representative Democracy

Delegate representation

• Citizens elected political actors who will represent their preferences.

Assumptions:

• Voters areaware.

• Voters arerational.

• Voters aretolerant.

• Voters areinformed.

12. Representative Democracy

Problems:

Tyranny of the Majority

Complexity of Issues

Utility of voting

13. Elitist Democracy The Masses are Asses 14. Elitist Democracy

Trustee Representation

• Voters should select those most able to run the government and trust that they will make the best decisions.

Only elites should have any real power over government policy.

Most individuals are too ignorant, unaware, or apathetic to have an informed role.

15. Critics of Democracy

Elite democracyserves those persons possessing a disproportionate share of money or power.

Marxistsperceive that government is dominated by capitalists.

Thepower eliteperspective holds that government is dominated by a few top leaders, most of whom are outside of government.

The bureaucratic view holds that the government is dominated by appointed officials.

16. More optimistic theory

Pluralist viewis the belief that competition among all affected interests shapes public policy.

No single group dominates the political process. Competing interests often check each other.

17. Public Opinion

Is the United States a representative or elitist democracy?

Public opinion shows that a majority of Americans believe that government serves the interests of a few elites. 18. The American Creed

In the abstract, nearly all Americans support certain fundamental principles.

• Freedom

• Political Equality

• Liberty

• Majority Rule

• Procedural Fairness

19. The American Creed

When it comes to specific applications of the creed, support tends to fall off.

20. Paradox of Democracy The paradox of democracy balances the principle of majority rule against the principle of individual liberty. Photo from www.time.com