Democracy

What is a democracy?
Aristotles definition: rule of the many
Majority rule (government by the people)
Two types of democracies:
1. Direct (participatory democracy) pure
2. Indirect (representative democracy)
 Direct (participatory
democracy)
All or most of the citizens participate directly
in either holding office or making policy (laws)
Exists only in very small population sizes
Exists in some small towns in the U.S. today
 Direct (participatory

democracy)
Allows the people to directly make laws and govern
themselves. (people make all the decisions)
Impractical in large populations or countries
The founding fathers did not favor a direct democracy (un-
educated masses)
Very time consuming: most citizens do not have the time,
information, interest, or expertise to make reasonable
choices or political decisions
Even highly educated people could be manipulated by
demagogic leaders who play on peoples fears and
prejudices
 Direct Democracy Examples Today:
Referendum: Legislature (Congress) submits a
proposed law to a popular vote by the citizens (voters)
during an election
Initiative: Citizens write and submit a proposed law to a
popular vote by the citizens (voters) during an election
after obtaining a required number of signatures (people
take the initiative and write the bill themselves)
Also referred to as Propositions or Ballot Measures
 2010 Propositions
Arizona Proposition 203: Medical Marijuana
Yes: 841,348 (50%), No: 837,008 (50%)

California Proposition 19: Legalizing Marijuana

No: 5,333,230 (53%), Yes: 4,643,592 (47%)

Rhode Island Question 1: State Name Change

No: 250,466 (78%), Yes: 71,162 (22%)
 2012 Ballot Measures
(Washington State)
Referendum 74: (Allow Same-Sex Marriage)
Yes: 1,527,272 (53%), No: 1,341,926 (47%)
Initiative 502: (Legalize Marijuana)
Yes: 1,593,680 (55%), No: 1,279,005 (45%)
 Indirect (representative democracy)
Also referred to as a Republican form of
government in the Constitution (a Republic)
The people elect officials to make laws, policies, and
political decisions for them
Works well in large populations when its impractical
to bring the entire population together
Not time consuming and creates professional
politicians
Laws
Elects Makes

Policy
People Politicians
 Constitutional Democracy
A system of government in which political authority is
defined, limited, and distributed by a body of
fundamental law called a Constitution" and the
majority of people have voting power to elect its
government officials as outlined in the Constitution.
Constitutionalism: the idea that there are limits on
the power of government and that these limits can be
defined in a constitution.
Basic Concepts of Democracy
1. Recognition of the fundamental worth and dignity
of every person
2. Respect for the quality of all persons
3. Faith in majority rule and an insistence upon
minority rights
4. Acceptance of the necessity of compromise
5. Insistence upon the widest possible degree of
individual freedom (freedom versus order)
6. Government derives it power and legitimacy from
the people
 Dictatorship
Autocracy: rule by one
Oligarchy: rule by few
All are authoritarian in nature
 Theories of Democratic
Government
Who Governs? Who has power and influence
over public policy and the decision making at the
local, state, and national levels of government?
1. Traditional (Majoritarian) Democratic Theory
2. Pluralist Theory
3. Elite Theory
4. Bureaucratic Theory
5. Hyper-pluralism Theory
 Theories of Democratic Government
Traditional Democratic Theory: the
people have the majority of power and
control the government by electing
officials and representatives (Majoritarian)
Pluralist Theory: Interest groups compete
for influence over government, each
promoting its own policy preferences and
agenda. Conflict among groups may
result, requiring negotiation, bargaining,
and compromise, nobody dominates
(Robert Dahl)
 Theories of Democratic Government
Elite Theory: A small number of powerful
elite (corporate leaders, top military
officers, government leaders) form an
upper class, which rules in its own interest
(C. Wright Mills)
Bureaucratic Theory: The hierarchical
structure and standardized procedures of
modern governments allow bureaucrats,
who carry out the day-to-day functions and
workings of the government, to hold the
real power over public policy (Max Weber)
 Theories of Democratic Government
Hyper-pluralism theory: Democracy is a system of
many groups having so much strength that
government is often pulled in numerous directions
at the same time, causing gridlock and
ineffectiveness (negative view, government is weakened)