Class 10: power, inclusion and exclusion

Interest group pluralism

democracy works through open competition between interest groups

Feminist critique: why pluralism fails

• Myth of free choice – interests and group memberships are not freely chosen

• Structural inequality – some groups face systematic disadvantages (gender, race, class)

• Unequal resources – power, time, money, and voice are unevenly distributed

• Bias toward privileged groups – pluralism favors organized, affluent, dominant groups

• Invisible exclusion – formally equal rules still produce unequal influence

Iris Marion Young on social groups

• groups are not defined by shared traits

• they are defined by structural position

Young on domination and oppression

• domination —> limits self- determination

• oppression —> limits self- expression

Five faces of oppression- Young

1.        Exploitation
– benefits of one group’s labor accrue to others

2.        Marginalisation
– exclusion from meaningful participation

3.        Powerlessness
– lack of autonomy and decision-making power

4.        Cultural imperialism
– dominant group’s experience treated as universal

5.        Violence
– disproportionate exposure to harassment or harm

Associative democracy- Young

a model where the state actively supports self-organised social groups (especially disadvantaged ones) so they can participate equally in agenda-setting and decision-making, correcting structural power inequalities.

Dryzek: is inclusion always desirable

• Inclusion is not always democratic – bringing groups into the state can weaken civil society

• Risk of co-optation – inclusion may neutralise opposition and radical critique

• Democracy needs pressure from outside – change often comes from autonomous civil society

• State imperatives matter – inclusion works only if group demands align with state goals

• Sometimes exclusion is better – extra-institutional politics can be more democratic

Dovi- in praise of exclusion

• Inclusion and exclusion are inseparable – representation always includes some and excludes others

• Inclusion is not automatically democratic – it can reinforce existing power and privilege

• Problem of dominance – powerful groups often shape agendas even when formally included

• Oppression principle – democracies should limit the influence of groups that sustain oppression

• Exclusion as corrective – carefully targeted exclusion can promote democratic justice rather than undermine it