How Much Democracy is Too Much? Thinking About Democracy and Elections

Guiding Questions for the Course PERSISTENT ISSUE: What standards must be met to give leadership legitimate authority? COURSE SPECIFIC: To what extent should American elections be more democratic? Too Democratic Just Right Not Democratic Some possible ways to view the question

Theories of Democratic Elections Two camps with opposing views… Minimalist Elitist Model: as long as leadership is responsible to the people, the electoral process matters little Participatory Pluralist Model: electoral process is a competition amongst competing groups Popular (Plebiscitary): people should exercise greatest influence over electoral process

Views on Minimalist Theory American democracy is structured, formal, practical, realistic…It is not starry-eyed, carnivalesque, or insurrectionary. It is not pure or participatory democracy, and it does not consider political chaos a price worth paying to actualize the political will….The populism of a Jefferson or a Jackson remains a part of our democratic ideology, but a smaller part than in the days of yore. -Judge Richard Posner What does this quote mean?

Views on Participatory Theory Democracy…must remain a project, a goal, something to be endlessly nurtured and reinforced, an ideal that cannot be fully realized but always can be pursued -Alexander Keyssar What does this quote mean?

Three Basic Requirements for a “Democratic” Election Most agree elections should include the following: Relatively wide, if not universal, suffrage A great degree of equality among those allowed to vote Some degree of thoughtfulness amongst voters Elections should also be characterized by the following values: Equal Respect Popular Sovereignty Free Choice

Other Criteria to Judge Elections By Extent to which they promote political stability Extent to which they hold elected officials accountable Extent to which public policy is addressed Extent to which political “playing field” is level Extent to which fundamental freedoms and rights are respected

The Problem of “Trade-Offs” Liberty v. Equality Free Press v. Informed Choice Free Speech v. Fair Competition Majority Rule v. Minority Rights