Ideology & Public Policy
Defining Democracy
Although democracy can be defined in different ways, all conceptions of democracy rest on certain basic ideas. For one thing, the underlying assumption of any form of democracy is that (1) people have the ability to govern themselves. This is why democracy is sometimes called self-government. It is interesting to note that throughout human history, most societies have seemed to operate on the assumption that people are not capable of governing themselves. But in a democracy, we focus on the rational ability of people to make good decisions about politics.
Additionally, in a democratic society, (2) the people in government who make public policy decisions are elected by large numbers of voters. The decisions of these elected officials are thought of as being supported by large numbers of people. We call this consent of the governed. The British philosopher John Locke (1632-1704) suggested that society is like a contract - an agreement between citizens. And the only way that government can rightfully rule over people is if they support the things that the government does. If the government enjoys the support, or consent, of the people, it is considered legitimate. In democratic societies this is often referred to as majority rule.
Another important feature of democracy is that (3) the people are guaranteed certain rights and liberties as part of the social contract. This is what Locke means by limited government - the idea that the power of the government is limited by laws such as our Constitution. We can also think of democracy as a government based on the rule of law. Laws define both our social contract and our rights and liberties. In addition to majority rule, democracies focus on the protection of the rights of the political minority.
Democracy is based on these principles:
Self-government
Popular Consent
Citizens' Rights and Liberties
Direct Democracy
When we think of democracy, we may be thinking of ancient Greece. In about 500 B.C., the city-state of Athens practiced a form of democracy for some period of time. This is often thought of as the model of democratic ideals for Western societies. Athenian society utilized a system of participatory democracy, which is also called direct democracy. In direct democracy:
Voters participate directly in public policy decisions
Citizens gather together in person to make policy decisions.
Today, some of the vestiges of direct democracy include:
Ballot initiatives
Recall and referendums
Town meetings
Representative Democracy
But in reality, we have a democracy that is based on the idea of representation. Voters elect representatives to make public policy decisions for us. Representative democracy is also referred to as republican government. In representative democracies:
Citizens transfer decision-making power to people who they elect to represent them
Regularly scheduled elections are required
The election system holds elected representatives responsible for their actions
Freedom of speech and freedom to politically organize are required
This system is also referred to as republican government.
Pluralist vs. Elite Theories of Democracy
Two different views of how American democracy operates are pluralist and elite theories. The pluralist theory of democracy (pluralism) suggests that various interest groups represent people in addition to elected officials when it comes to creating public policy. Furthermore, the process in which policy is made is seen as being influenced by competing groups. Bargaining and compromise between these groups and politicians is viewed as a means to better public policy.
Elite theory, on the other hand, suggests that all important policy decisions are made by powerful elites of:
Politics
The military
Business
In this view of society, the people have little power or impact on how public policy is created.
