Chapter 2: Majoritarian or Pluralist Democracy? - Key Terms

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering procedural vs substantive democracy, direct vs indirect democracy, majoritarian vs pluralist models, elite theory, key terms, and related concepts from the lecture notes.

Procedural democracy

The procedural view emphasizes the democratic process—universal participation, political equality, majority rule, and government responsiveness.

Substantive democracy

A view that emphasizes the policies and outcomes of government rather than the procedures used to make decisions; government should guarantee civil liberties and civil rights, with debates over social rights.

Direct democracy

A system in which members of the society meet directly to make policy decisions; time consuming and impractical; decisions driven by passions.

Indirect democracy

A system in which members vote to elect representatives who make policy decisions on their behalf; accountability is primarily through elections.

Majoritarian model

Government by the majority of the people; elections decide government policies; features include referenda, initiative, and recall; critics say voters may lack knowledge.

Pluralist model

Government by competing interest groups; decentralized government; policy outcomes result from group competition; open access to influence.

Elite theory

A theory that a small, wealthy group makes most important decisions; government is controlled by elites; can describe the U.S. as an oligarchy; difficult to test.

Robert Dahl

A proponent of pluralist democracy; emphasized divided authority, decentralization, and open access to politics.

Demos

Greek root meaning "the people".

Kratos

Greek root meaning "power".

Demagogue

A leader who appeals to the passions and fears of the people, feared in democracy.

Universal participation

The idea that everyone who should participate in decision-making should have the opportunity to participate.

Political equality

Each participant’s vote should carry equal weight.

Majority rule

Decisions are made by achieving a majority of votes.

Referendum

A direct vote by the electorate on a specific policy issue.

Initiative

A process allowing citizens to propose new laws or policy changes.

Recall

The procedure to remove an elected official before the end of their term.

Civil liberties

Fundamental freedoms protected from government interference by the Bill of Rights.

Civil rights

Protections against discrimination and guarantees of equal treatment under the law.

Oligarchy

Rule by a small, privileged group.

Autocracy

Rule by a single ruler, such as a monarch or dictator.

Democratization

The process of moving toward democracy; often challenging and uneven (e.g., Arab Spring); can be fragile and contested.

Decentralization

Dispersing political power away from a central authority to regional or local authorities.

Open access

Broad participation in political processes and policymaking, not restricted to elites.

Minority rights

Protections to guard against the tyranny of the majority and balance majority power with minority interests.