Notes on Indirect Democracy and Theories of American Power

Indirect Democracy

Indirect democracy (representative democracy): citizens elect representatives to make policies; also called a republic; contrasted with direct democracy where voters create policies themselves.

Equality of voting: one person, one vote; equal say in decisions.
Effective participation: sizable portion of eligible people participate; not necessarily universal, but representative.
Enlightened understanding: free access to information; understanding policy options.
Citizen control of the agenda: citizens influence what the government considers; not solely driven by the wealthy.
Inclusion: everyone has equal protections, rights, and freedoms.
Summary: these criteria gauge the degree of democracy in a polity.

Majority rule: more than half of voters should get their way on important decisions.
Minority rights: safeguard fundamental rights of minorities; founders were concerned about this.
Representation: relationship between leaders and the represented; essential in a system with elected representatives.

Many groups compete for influence; no single group dominates.
Through bargaining and compromise, a rough public interest is approximated in policy.
Power is not distributed equally, but the deliberation process yields a pragmatic outcome; optimistic view.

Society is divided along class lines; wealthy interests (often corporations) dominate.
Despite many groups appearing to participate, the wealthy have disproportionate influence on policy.

Many groups are active; groups are so powerful that government cannot formulate coherent policy.
Fragmented government seeks to placate all groups, leading to confusion, gridlock, or muddled policies.

Given the evidence at any time, which of pluralism, elitism, or hyperpluralism is best supported? This question guides analysis throughout the course.