Democra

cy and
Legitima Part 2

cy
Ma. Crisanta Delo
Direct
Democracy
Direct, unmediated and
continuous participation of
citizens in the task of the
government
Obliterates the distinction
between the government and
the governed
Popular self-government
Mass meeting; referendum
Representative
Democracy
Limited popular participation
Restricted to the act of voting every few years
Indirect, public do not exercise power
themselves, they merely select their
representative--those who will rule on their
behalf
Reliable and effective link between the
government and the government
 Pros of each
Direc
democracy Representativ
e
t

pure form of practicable form of

democracy democracy
better-informed relieves ordinary citizens
citizenry of the burden of DM
Public can express government is handled by
their own views and “experts”
interests stability and people
Rule is legitimate compromise
MODELS OF
DEMOCRAC
Y
Classical
Democracy
Based on the democracy of Athens
Form of direct democracy in Athens was seen as the pinnacle of
pure/ ideal system
regular assembly meetings
Citizens hold public office and decision-making responsibilities

Criticized by Plato. He argued that political equality was flawed

because the public lacked wisdom and experience to govern
effectively
Excluded slaves, women and foreigners from political
Limited / Protective
Democracy
Democracy became a way for citizens to protect themselves
from the encroachments of the government
Gives citizens wide possible scope to live their lives as they
choose. Hence, it was embraced by liberal thinkers who
aimed to maximize individual freedom and also New Right
thinkers.
offers a limited and indirect form of democracy, primarily
focused on regular elections and accountability
Ensures government accountability through voting (equal
voting rights) and operates with constitutional rules
Separation of powers: executive, legislative, and judiciary &
Developmental
Democracy
Focus: development of the human individual and the community
Acc. to Jean-Jacques Rousseau, democracy was ultimately a means
through which human beings could achieve freedom or autonomy in
the sense of obedience to a law one prescribes to oneself
Citizens are only free when they participate directly &
continuously in shaping the life of the community
Freedom ultimately means obedience to the general will
Radical developmental democracy required not merely political
equality, but a relatively high level of economic equality
“no citizen shall be rich enough to buy another and none so poor
as to be forced to sell himself”
Developmental
Democracy
John Stuart Mill’s as more modest form:
Focus: democracy’s educational benefits
The central virtue of democracy is that it promotes the highest
and harmonious development of individual capacities.
Political participation enhances the understanding, sensibilities
of the citizens, achieving a higher level of personal development.
Promoted expansion of political participation except for the
illiterate ones
Not all political opinions are equal value, hence he suggested
plural voting
Concerned with “the tyranny of the majority”
Poeple’s / Socialist
Democracy
Originated from communist regimes after World War II
Refer broadly to the democratic models generated by the Marxist
tradition
Drawn to the concept or ideal of democracy for its clear egalitarian
implications
Stands in contrast to liberal democracies for being dominated by
capitalist interests
Aims for radical equality through common ownership of wealth,
emphasizing the empowerment of working class
Acc. to Marx, an overthrow of capitalism will allow genuine
democracy to flourish
VIEWS BY DIFFERENT
THEORISTS
 Pluralistic View
James Madison:
Concerned about the problems of factions
Unchecked democratic rule might lead to
majoritarianism
Multiplicity of interests and groups in society
Insisted that unless each group had a political voice,
stability and order would be impossible
Divided government
Might lead to Pluralist stagnation and government
overload
unequal ownership of economic resources tends to
 Elitist View
criticizes egalitarian ideas like democracy &
socialism,
“democracy was no more than a foolish
delusion, because political power is always
executed by a privileged minority: an elite.
Power elite models and Competitive elite modes
 Corporatist View
Origin: dates back to the attempt in Fascist Italy
to construct a so-called “corporate state” by
integrating managers and workers to the
process of government
Neocorporatism, state officials, employer’s
groups, and unions interact directly.
Integration of economic interests into
government aimed to manage economic life and
provide public service
Policy through negotiations
 New Right
View
Focus: danger of what has been called “democratic overload: the
paralysis of a political system that is subject to unrestrained
group & electoral pressures.
criticizes corporatism
keen advocates of the free market, believing that economies work
best when left alone by government.
The New Right view is that democracy is to adults what chocolate
is to children: endlessly tempting; harmless in small ideas;
sickening in excess- Marguard (1988)
Democracy is seen strictly in protective terms, regarding it
essentially as a defense against arbitrary government, rather
than a means of bringing about social transformation.
 Marxist View
Rooted in class analysis
focus: inherent tension between democracy and
capitalism; that is between the political equality
that liberal democracy proclaims & the social
inequality that a capitalist economy inevitably
generates.
power stems from economic factors particularly,
production ownership
criticizes pluralism, by pointing out that power is
still concentrated in society because of unequal
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