- List of Boxes
- About the Authors
- Guided Tour of the Textbook Features
- Guided tour of the Online Resources
- World Map
- 1. Introduction: The Nature of Politics and Political Analysis
- 2. Politics and the State
- 3. Political Power, Authority, and the State
- 4. Democracy and Political Obligation
- 5. Freedom and Justice
- 6. Traditional Ideologies
- 7. Challenges to the Dominant Ideologies
- 8. Institutions and States
- 9. Political Culture and Non-Western Political Ideas
- 10. Law, Constitutions, and Federalism
- 11. Votes, Elections, Legislatures, and Legislators
- 12. Political Parties
- 13. Executives, Bureaucracies, Policy Studies, and Governance
- 14. Civil Society, Interest Groups, and the Media
- 15. Democracies, Democratization, and Authoritarian Regimes
- 16. Introducing Global Politics
- 17. Traditional Theories in Global Politics
- 18. Critical Approaches to Global Politics
- 19. Security and Insecurity
- 20. Diplomacy and Foreign Policy
- 21. International Organizations in Global Politics
- 22. Global Political Economy
- 23. Conclusion: Towards a Globalizing, Post- Western-Dominated World
- Glossary
- References
- Index
(p. 69) 4. Democracy and Political Obligation
- Chapter:
- (p. 69) 4. Democracy and Political Obligation
- Author(s):
Robert Garner
- DOI:
- 10.1093/hepl/9780198820611.003.0004
This chapter examines the claim that democracy is the ideal form of political obligation. It first traces the historical evolution of the term ‘democracy’ before discussing the debate between advocates of the protective theory and the participatory theory of democracy, asking whether it is possible to reconcile elitism with democracy and whether participatory democracy is politically realistic. The chapter proceeds to explain why democracy is viewed as the major grounding for political obligation, with emphasis on the problem of majority rule and what to do with the minority consequences of majoritarianism. It documents the contemporary malaise experienced by democracy and seeks to explain its perceived weaknesses as a form of rule. Finally, the chapter describes the new directions that democratic theory has taken in recent years, focusing on four theories: associative democracy, cosmopolitan democracy, deliberative democracy, and ecological democracy.
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- List of Boxes
- About the Authors
- Guided Tour of the Textbook Features
- Guided tour of the Online Resources
- World Map
- 1. Introduction: The Nature of Politics and Political Analysis
- 2. Politics and the State
- 3. Political Power, Authority, and the State
- 4. Democracy and Political Obligation
- 5. Freedom and Justice
- 6. Traditional Ideologies
- 7. Challenges to the Dominant Ideologies
- 8. Institutions and States
- 9. Political Culture and Non-Western Political Ideas
- 10. Law, Constitutions, and Federalism
- 11. Votes, Elections, Legislatures, and Legislators
- 12. Political Parties
- 13. Executives, Bureaucracies, Policy Studies, and Governance
- 14. Civil Society, Interest Groups, and the Media
- 15. Democracies, Democratization, and Authoritarian Regimes
- 16. Introducing Global Politics
- 17. Traditional Theories in Global Politics
- 18. Critical Approaches to Global Politics
- 19. Security and Insecurity
- 20. Diplomacy and Foreign Policy
- 21. International Organizations in Global Politics
- 22. Global Political Economy
- 23. Conclusion: Towards a Globalizing, Post- Western-Dominated World
- Glossary
- References
- Index
