Contemporary Political Debates Topic :
Representation and Participation in Modern Democracy
Position A: Despite many shortcomings, the political system in the United States allow formaximum freedom and adequate participation by the ruled/governed and proper representations oftheir interests.Thus we can designate the United States to be a Democracy.
Position B: In representative democracies like the United States government represents the interestsof not the majority of the population but of a small minority; government is run by and work for the"power elite" and the majority of the people have very little opportunity to participate in politics. We cannot, thus, call the United States to be a true democracy.
Required Readings:
• Chapter 7: Political Participation" in Tannahill 2012
• Benjamin Constant (1819). "The liberty of ancients compared with that of moderns"
• Selection from Robert Dahl's Who Governs? A Preface to Democratic Theory (in LanahanReadings on American Polity)
• Selection from C. Wright Mills' The Power Elite (in Lanahan Readings on American Polity)
Guiding Questions
1. What are some of the forms of political participation common in democratic system like theU.S.? What are some of the factors that influence political participation?
2. Does lower participation - particularly in terms of voting - matter? How and for whom?
3. What are some of the significant differences between "Ancient" and "modern" libertiesaccording Benjamin Constant?
4. According to Mills, what is the power elite? How does it come about? Why does it'sexistence does not constitute a conspiracy?
5. According to Dahl, who governs in a democracy? How is his idea of "political stratum" isdifferent from and/or similar to Mills idea of "the power Elite".