Chapter 23 : Contemporary Theory of Democracy

Contemporary Theory of Democracy

Traditional theories of democracy focused on democracy as a form of government and sought its ethical justification. Contemporary theories, however, focus on the nature of democracy in light of recent sociological findings and its ethical critiques.

Elitist Theory

Elitist theories originated in sociology to explain human behaviour in social settings. Their application to politics challenged traditional democratic theory, prompting revisions by several thinkers.

• Core Tenet: Every society consists of two categories of men:

1. The elite (minority): Exercises preponderant influence within a social collectivity (society, state, religious institution, political party).
2. The masses (majority): Governed by the elite.

• Vilfredo Pareto (The Mind and Society; 1915-19): First to use the terms 'elite' and 'masses' to indicate superior and inferior groups. Concluded that the 'elite' show the highest ability in their field, while masses lack leadership qualities, fear responsibility, and feel safe following elite direction.
• Gaetano Mosca (The Ruling Class; 1896): Postulated that people are necessarily divided into rulers and the ruled. The ruling class controls wealth, power, and prestige, exercising all power regardless of the form of government. The ruled are incompetent to replace them.
• Robert Michels (Political Parties: A Sociological Study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy; 1911): Propounded the 'iron law of oligarchy'.
• Mechanism: Every organization, regardless of original aims, eventually reduces to an 'oligarchy' (rule of the chosen few based on manipulative skills).
• Assumption: The majority of humans are apathetic, indolent, slavish, and permanently incapable of self-government.

Revision of Democratic Theory

Because elite theory empirically demonstrated that "government of the people" is incapable of realization, champions of democracy revised democratic theory to accommodate elitist findings, leading to 'democratic elitism'.

Views of Mannheim

• Karl Mannheim (Ideology and Utopia: An Introduction to the Sociology of Knowledge; 1929).
• Initially related elite theories to Fascism and anti-intellectualism, but later championed reconciliation between elite and democratic theories.
• Argument: Society remains democratic even if policy-shaping is entrusted to elites, provided the people can make their aspirations felt at certain intervals.
• Mechanism: The governed can act to remove…