Democracy is defined as ‘A system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state’ (Oxforddictionaries.com, 2015). However, there are varying interpretations on how this is achieved. This essay will analyse pluralist democracy, deliberative democracy, and the delegate view of representational democracy. These theories are the most democratic systems of government as they allow the most amount of citizens to have an influence in policy making. However, the system which allows for the highest quality of democracy and is more democratic is the pluralist system, as it is the most legitimate.
The pluralist theory of democracy is one credible theory of a democratic system as it allows a plethora of interest groups to
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Deliberative theory proposes that local decision-making should be made by discussion groups formed of a mixture of economic, racial, and educational backgrounds, of all genders, who perceive themselves as equals. This enhances the quality of democracy as the decisions made are more legitimate in the eyes of the people, as the public have been involved in decision making. Deliberative democracy not only increases the number of the public involved in decision making but also leads to an improved quality of decisions. This is because the process of deliberation suggests contemplation, and allows for more well informed views to come forward, even situations where members are willing to amend their views in light of the dialogue (Dryzek and Dunleavy, 2009: 216). Furthermore, deliberation could, over time, lead to better solutions to conflict within societies, as citizens will come to accept the most reasonable and effective decisions, however, this does not mean that it needs to ‘result in unanimity or consensus’ (Sunstein, cited in Johnson 1998: 162). Despite this, there are some problems with this system as it is based in some assumptions which are too unrealistic. Firstly, the circumstances for debates to take place are near impossible to create. It is unlikely that a space free of coercion, or inequalities can exist in the current socio-economic system. Secondly, deliberative democracy suggests that participants are likely to change their views as a result of the debate, however, this is an unreasonable assumption (Johnson 1998: 174), as humans are naturally self-interested and likely to protect their beliefs and ideas. Whilst deliberative democracy does provide a convincing argument in theory, it is unlikely to succeed in practice due to the idealism it is founded
“ … we… need an alternative to winner-take-all majoritarianism… with Nikolas’s help… I call [this] the ‘principle of taking turns.’ [It] does better than simple majority rule… it accommodates the values of self-government, fairness, deliberation, compromise, and consensus that lie at the heart of the democratic ideal” (para.
...e see that there are several factors which contribute to America’s pluralistic society. The influence, openness, and competition of interest groups put power in the hands of a diverse selection of people. The democratic elections and multi-party system allow people to choose from a number of candidates who they want to represent them as the elite. Lastly, America’s three branches and the bounds of the constitution help ensure that there is balance of power. Pluralism is a system which has worked for the country. Since its birth, the public has always been able to influence politics. Never has there been a threat of domestic tyranny. As long as the elite adhere to the constitution and work as activators for the people’s views rather than their own, America will be a free, democratic nation—a place where everyone coexists to share power, responsibility, and rewards.
Democracy is rule by the people; the people elect governing officials based off of their personal values and beliefs. Different political parties rule the political scene and are serving to represent the people’s opinions in the best ways possible. Previously, I had a belief that my political view was essentially the only one possible and therefore it was the best. These views changed quickly once I learned the different political parties, their views, how they represent the people’s views, and how public opinion shapes politics. The government is formed around differentiating opinions on which policies should be in place and which social aspects need to be considered first. Not only is the government guided by opinion, but the people’s lives are guided by opinion as well. Each individual holds a different view, and each view can have an influence on society. Fortunately, after roughly eight weeks of studying American Government, I now have a better sense of complexity and the value of
With the creation of factions, self-interest groups, there is the inevitable creation of both majority and minority groups. The majority and minority within the ideal democracy are to hold equal influence; however, this is not the case. As a result, the common good of the whole is hidden behind interests of majority groups with fixed aims. Therefore, the views of minorities are frequently disregarded, consequently leading to suggested policies/alterations not being put into practice. As suggested and stated by Mr. Magnotti and James Madison, the causes of factions and factions themselves cannot be destroyed, nevertheless, they can and should be controlled. This control would allow for the equal weighting of both the majority and minority groups’ views, preventing the overpowering of majorities, as advocated by Madison in his writing, “the majority, having such coexistent passion or interest, must be rendered, by their number and local situation, unable to concert and carry into effect schemes of oppression.” This idea of oppression represents the destruction of the democratic ideal of equality, due to the unequal distribution of power. In the idealized democracy, groups of people with shared ideals, re...
Many Americans hold different opinions or theories on how our government works. Some even take to writing what they believe in the hopes of finding someone with a similar view. There are three well-known theories of American Democracy, the elite theory, the pluralist theory, and the hyperpluralist theory. Each of these approaches all hold the relatively same belief, that Americans need someone powerful to govern and take control. Of the three theories, the elite theory best explains the American political process.
Much has been made about whether or not the United States is truly a democratic country. The nature of this debate stems from the different ways that democracy is defined. Many scholars, including Howard Zinn have defined democracy operationally rather than conclusively thus creating a focus that goes beyond political institutions and addresses the quality of life of the citizens. This focus on equality and fairness of outcomes generally leads to the conclusion that America is not that democratic. On the other hand, many other scholars, including Sidney Hook, have argued that democracy does not have to do with outcomes, but rather it is about the procedural process, specifically the concept of majority
In making this argument this essay seeks to five things. Firstly, to define democracy within the contemporary context offering the key characteristics of a modern re...
Pluralism comes from the political system that focuses on shared power among interest groups and competing factions.# A pluralistic society contains groups that have varying interests and backgrounds, including those of ethnic, religious, and political nature.# Differences like these are to be encouraged, with overall political and economic power being maintained. When a number of people, all sharing a common interest are threatened, a group is involuntarily formed in order to defend against competing interests.
“The government operates through competing interest groups rather than public opinion. The competing interest groups represent the people’s interest to government decision makers. Democracy exists when many (plural) organizations operate separately from the government, press their interests on the government, and even challenge the government.” The public is best served if the government structure provides access for different groups to press their claims in competition with one another. A pluralistic model of democracy allows minority interests to organize and press their claims on government freely also.
Democracy: a government by the people, in which citizens rule either directly or through elected representatives - the latter description more relevant to today’s societies. Quite evidently, democracy is not perfect; like any other political system, it is subject to a plethora of flaws. For instance, it is no secret that voters tend to make illogical decisions – not out of sheer malice, but as a result of being wrongly informed. Politicians also make erroneous choices, whether they do so because they are dishonest or simply out of touch with the true will of their constituents. Further, anyone who has studied the government of a parliamentary democracy knows gerrymandering can have a powerful say in determining elections. Despite these and other flaws however, democracy still seems to work.
Constitutional Democracy The basic premise of a constitutional democracy is that government has rules and all of the people have voices. Through free and fair elections, we elect candidates to represent us. The Constitution of the United States guarantees us the right to do this, and to live democratically. The framers attacked tyrannical government and advanced the following ideas: that government comes from below, not from above, and that it derives its powers from the consent of the governed; that men have certain natural, inalienable rights; that it is wise and feasible to distribute and balance powers within government, giving local powers to local governments, and general powers to the national government; that men are born equal and should be treated as equal before the law.
A memorable expression said by President Abraham Lincoln reads, “Democracy is government of the people, by the people, and for the people”. Democracy, is a derived from the Greek term "demos" which means people. It is a successful, system of government that vests power to the public or majority. Adopted by the United States in 1776, a democratic government has six basic characteristics: (i) established/elected sovereignty (where power and civic responsibility are exercised either directly by the public or their freely agreed elected representative(s)), (ii) majority rule(vs minority), (iii) (protects one’s own and reside with) human rights, (iv) regular free and fair elections to citizens (upon a certain age), (v) responsibility of
During the 19th century, these principles were increasingly challenged, or they were deprived of their substance beyond representative institutions. So, in many countries, direct-democracy institutions have not been established or implemented since representative elites developed a strong interest in monopolizing power. In addition, pragmatic theories contended that direct democracy could not work under space and time conditions of large modern
Democracy is important and valuable to the people of the United States. It is the form of government that rules us all. Democracy is one type of government with different variations. The idea of democracy has two meanings. The ideal and the real. The ideal is that democracy that listens to everyone and gives freedom as well as equality. For example, there is direct democracy, in which every person votes to come to an agreement. This is a type of democracy that cannot be accomplished in the United States due to the population size. Instead we have what is called a representative democracy or the real type of democracy. In this type of democracy, we the people get to choose someone to represent our values an opinions and that person reports this to the government. We have this type of democracy because perfect democracy does not exist. It would be extremely hard to accomplish or even come close to it. The reality is that the United States is one of the closest best forms of democracy, yet it’s far from perfect. The U.S. and what makes it a working democracy contains more than just representation. The government is made up of the Constitution, the rule of the majority, public opinion, elections, mass media, interest
The foundation of the modern political system was laid in the times when the world was strangled in slavery. In those moments, enlightened minds in Greek came up with the new system that was there to remain for the next thousands of years. This system, now known as democracy, is a form of government in which supreme power is vested to the people themselves. People have the right to elect their leaders directly or indirectly through a scheme of representation usually involving periodically held free elections. A new democratic government is usually established after every 4-5 years, and it is trusted with the responsibility to cater to the needs of all the people irrespective of the fact that they voted for them or not. Although the minorities may not be very pleased with the idea of democracy, however, a democratic government is certainly the best because it establishes social equality among people, reduces the conflicts in the state to a minimum, gives the chance to vote repeatedly, and creates patriotism.