Arts and humani es · US government and civics

· Founda ons of American democracy

· Types of democracy

Types of democracy
There are several types of democracy. In this ar cle, learn
about par cipatory democracy, pluralist democracy, and
elite democracy.

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Key points
Par cipatory democracy is a model of
democracy in which ci zens have the power
to decide directly on policy and poli cians
are responsible for implemen ng those
policy decisions.

Pluralist democracy is a model of democracy

in which no one group dominates poli cs
and organized groups compete with each
other to influence policy.

Elite democracy is a model of democracy in

which a small number of people, usually
those who are wealthy and well-educated,
influence poli cal decision making.

Models of democracy
When the United States was founded, the
Founders created a democra c republic, a
system of government in which the power to
govern comes from the people, but elected
officials represent their interests. This system of
government allows American ci zens to
par cipate in government in many ways.

The United States also has many different levels

and branches of government that any ci zen or
group might approach. Many people take this as
evidence that US ci zens, especially as
represented by compe ng groups, can influence
government ac ons. Some poli cal theorists,
however, argue that this is not the case. These
different opinions have sprouted three popular
models of democracy: par cipatory, pluralist,
and elite.

We can see each model of democracy in the

American government today. In this ar cle, we’ll
define par cipatory, pluralist, and elite
democracy and describe examples of each.

Par cipatory democracy

A par cipatory democracy is a model of
democracy in which ci zens have the power to
make policy decisions. Par cipatory democracy
emphasizes the broad par cipa on of people in
poli cs.
However, this is not a direct democracy, in
which ci zens are directly responsible for
making policy decisions. In a par cipatory
democracy, ci zens can influence policy
decisions, but do not make them. Poli cians are
s ll responsible for implemen ng those policy
decisions. The United States does not have a
pure par cipatory democracy, but at some levels
of government, we can see examples of a
par cipatory democracy playing out.

Senator Ted Cruz at a New England College Town Hall Mee ng on

February 3rd, 2016. Image credit: Flickr Crea ve Commons

Examples of par cipatory

democracy today
We can see par cipatory democracy in local and
state forms of government, where ci zens have
mul ple access points to influence policymakers.
Town hall mee ngs are a way for local and
na onal poli cians to meet with cons tuents to

Arts and humani es US
government and civics
Founda ons of American
democracy Types of
democracy
Types of democracy
Introduc on to democracy
and its varia ons
Types of democracy
Types of democracy:
lesson overview
Prac ce: Types of
democracy
Next lesson
Challenges of the Ar cles …
hear their opinions on topics they are interested
in or to discuss upcoming legisla on.
Ini a ves and referendums are two ways in
which local and state governments allow for
ci zens to influence policy decisions. An
ini a ve is a process that allows ci zens to
bypass their state legislature by placing
proposed laws on the ballot. Some states even
allow ci zens to place cons tu onal
amendments on the ballot.
Only 24 states have an ini a ve process.
Nevada is one of those states, and in 2016, the
state of Nevada voted on Nevada Background
Checks for Gun Purchases, Ques on 1 which
would require individuals who intend to
purchase guns from someone who does not
have a firearms license to undergo a background
check.
[Example: deep dive into Nevada Background
Checks for Gun Purchases]
A popular referendum, on the other hand, allows
voters to approve or repeal an act of the state
legislature. Similar to ini a ves, voters sign a
pe on to get the measure on the next ballot,
but popular referendums differ in that the law in
ques on has already passed in the state
legislature. In 2016, Maine conducted a
referendum vote on a measure that would
outlaw hun ng bears a er bai ng them with
doughnuts. Because doughnuts are so popular
for controlling Maine’s bear popula on, voters
overwhelmingly defeated the measure.

Both ini a ves and referendums show how local

and state governments allow for the broad
par cipa on of voters to influence policymaking.
Elected representa ves are then responsible for
enac ng the decisions of their cons tuents.

Pluralist democracy
Pluralist democracy is a model of democracy in
which no single group dominates poli cs and
organized groups compete with each other to
influence policy. We see examples of pluralist
democracy at both the state level and the
federal level. As in a par cipatory democracy,
anyone can par cipate in influencing poli cal
decisions, but in a pluralist democracy,
individuals work through groups formed around
common causes.

Theorists who back pluralist democracy argue

that people self-select which causes they want
to spend their me on and then support those
groups. Those groups then compete over gaining
support from notable poli cians who will
advocate their interests.

Examples of pluralist democracy

today
The most notable example of pluralist
democracy in the American poli cal system is
the role that interest groups play in poli cal
decisions today. Interest groups are groups of
people who a empt to influence policymakers to
support their posi on on a par cular common
interest or concern.

We’ll go into more detail about interest groups

later in the course, but for now, what you need
to know is that groups like the Na onal Rifle
Associa on (NRA) and the Na onal Organiza on
for Women (NOW) influence policymakers in
many ways. They influence poli cians through
monetary dona ons, lobbying, and tes fying in
Congressional hearings.

Interest groups are an example of pluralist

democracy because people join groups that are
focused on issues that they care about.

Elite democracy
Elite democracy is a model of democracy in
which a small number of people, usually those
who are wealthy or well-educated, influence
poli cal decisionmaking. Advocated by some of
the Framers, like Alexander Hamilton, the elite
democra c model argues that par cipa on in
poli cs should be limited to a small group of
highly-informed individuals who can make the
best decisions for all ci zens.
Examples of elite democracy
today
We can see the influence of elite democracy
today in the structure of the Electoral College.
Although the people popularly elect a
presiden al candidate, the Electoral College
serves as a check on the poten al tyranny of the
majority. In US history, there have been three
presiden al elec ons in which the people
popularly elected one candidate for president,
but the other candidate won the Electoral
College and therefore the presidency.

Electoral college map for the elec on of 2000. Look at which

candidate won the electoral college and which candidate won the
popular vote. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

The Electoral College is an example of elite

democracy because it places a small group in
charge of making major poli cal decisions, even
if those decisions contradict the popular will.

Review ques ons

CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING
Match each type of democracy with its
defini on.

Type of Defini
democracy

Par cipatory Organized groups compete w

democracy poli cal decis

Pluralist A broad group of voter

democracy decisionm

A small group of wealthy or h

Elite democracy
influences poli cal

Check

Marty learns that his city's mayor plans to

replace a historic clock tower. He opposes this
plan, and organizes a group of local residents in a
Save the Clock Tower ini a ve. Which model of
democracy best represents Marty's ac ons?

[Let me see how you answered this ques on]

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Ques ons Tips & Thanks

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suehn a year ago

more

How is an Elite democracy a democracy it

seems more like an oligarchy to me?
(6
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a year
m…
ROGUESOLARIS ago

That is a pre y interes ng

observa on. They are definitely
similar terms, but there is one key
excep on: elite democracy is s ll a
"democracy" whereas an oligarchy
is more on the end of a totalitarian
government. You see, even though
the range of voters is somewhat
restricted in an elite democracy (I
inten onally understate this to
back up my point), they s ll get to
vote; in an oligarchy, a small group
of people simply lords over a
na on, and the term "vote" is not
something found in an oligarchy.
Hope this answered your ques on,
keep on learning!
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David The Clown 2 years ago

more

i am assuming that Popular Democracy and

Par cipatory Democracy are the same thing.
am I correct?
 2 (3
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2 years
m…
Kendrick Hibbard ago

These days, aside from a few fringe

cranks, everyone endorses
democracy. As C. Douglas Lummis
says, ‘The sentence, “I’m for
democracy” communicates virtually
no informa on … The statement is
likely to be met with a blank stare
or with a puzzled response like,
“How nice”.’
But the almost universal
enthusiasm is actually remarkably
recent. Raymond Williams reminds
us that, un l the 19th century,
democracy was mostly a term of
approba on. It referred to a
par cular model of society, one in
which the mul tude ruled and the
wealthy were suppressed: hence, in
the revolu onary wave of 1848,
the insurgent forces were known
simply as ‘The Democracy’. Roget’s
Thesaurus captures something of
that usage by retaining ‘democrat’
as a synonym for ‘commoner’.
But that meaning was challenged
by a concep on of democracy as
representa ve rule on behalf of the
masses. Thus, Alexander Hamilton,
one of the US founders, insisted
that ves ng delibera ve or judicial
powers in the collec ve body of
the people led to ‘error, confusion
and instability’. Against that, he
advocated representa ve
democracy as a kind of check on
the mul tude, ‘where the right of
elec on is well secured and
regulated, and the exercise of the
legisla ve execu ve and judicial
authori es is vested in select
persons’.
 As Williams says, it’s from this
no on that the dominant modern
sense of the term developed. Yet,
throughout the 20th century, the
old debate con nued in a new
form, reflected in the differing
understandings of democracy in
the liberal and socialist tradi ons.
For socialists, democracy meant
popular power; for liberals, it meant
elec ons of representa ves
alongside the condi ons that
facilitated those elec ons.’These
two concep ons,’ Williams argued,
‘in their extreme forms, now
confront each other as enemies.’
But that was wri en in 1976, a
me in which the Le retained
some of the vigour of the insurgent
60s. Today, the socialist tradi on
has been erased from public
consciousness — and the radical
defini on of democracy largely
forgo en.
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Bhargav Kosh 2 years ago

more

I have a slight concern/ques on, for the

Bush versus Gore map of who got the
electoral votes, it says that Washington DC.
has only 2 electoral votes, but in the 23rd
amendment it says that it should get 3. Is
that a mistake in my memory or is the picture
wrong?
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2 years
m…
Alexander Wu ago

Yes, DC has 3 votes.

2 (2
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Roxann 8 months ago
more

what is an easy way to remember the

different Democracies?
(3
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7 months
m…
Shaina Joshua ago

I mean, the descrip ons are in the

names. Par cipatory democracy -->
everyone par cipates. Elite
democracy --> the elite influence
poli cal descisons. The only one I
can see being a li le tricky might
be pluralist democracy, maybe then
pluralist --> plural --> more than
one center of power.
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Sierra-Nichole Brown 2 years ago

more

Is this what we have in the us

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Roxann 8 months ago

more

yes i think we have all of them in

the U.S.
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Rory402 a year ago

more

which democracy is the best?

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a year
mo…
WayneLourens ago
 Id say Par cipatory democracy
because everybody holds the
power to decide directly on policy.
Wouldnt that be fair for everyone?
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Caleb 6 months ago

more

Would European poli cs, with its many

poli cal par es and fac ons, be considered a
pluralist democracy?
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Introduc on to democracy and its varia ons

Types of democracy: lesson overview