What is Democratic About 'Representative Democracies' Discuss With Reference to Elite Theory - Essay Example

WHAT IS DEMOCRATIC ABOUT REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACIES? DISCUSS WITH REFERENCE TO ELITE THEORY. by s of the of the Name of the School City, State October 31, 2012 Norberto Robbio, stated that Democracy is, “a set of rules that establish who has the authorization to take common decisions and procedures to be used” (Touraine and Macey, 1997, p.8). The word Democracy was first used in Ancient Greek, they were the first people known to take this idea of collective decision-making, turning it to a government system. They combined the words demos (people) and crates (rule) which meant rule by the people. In a democratic Government, the people rule, they are sovereign making them the highest authority in the land (Woolf, 2005). In democratic states, political rights are recognized and practised. There are two kinds of democracy namely; Direct democracy and Indirect Democracy. They may be characterized differently according to how people use their powers, and rule in democracy. Direct democracy is also referred to as participatory democracy and may be defined as, a state in which its people have direct control in running the state, making laws and taking decisions. An example of a country that exercises direct democracy is Switzerland. Indirect democracy or representative democracy is a state in which its people have a limited role in decision making and passing of law. An example of kind of state that used indirect democracy is Jamaica in its decision to stay in the West Indian Federation in 1961(Munroe, 1983). Representative democracy, is a form of Government in which people are elected by means of vote, to represent people in a meeting called congress or parliament. Representative democracy is a form of Government in which congressmen are elected by people, to enforce laws and policies (Bardes, Shelley and Schmidt, 2010). Representative democracies are the processes of adapting the minority nationalist demands. With the introduction of representative democracy and its competing election, the majority and other institutions have come together to defend the demands of the minority through democratic means (Alonso, Keane and Merkel, 2011). Spain is an example of such an illustration that exists between the minority and the representative democracy. This doesn’t show that Spain is an extraordinary country, but the reason for the selection of Spain is because, it’s a young democracy as compared to Belgium and the U.K. In the year 1977, Spain lacked subcultural pluralism that was essential for a country to maintain at a low level and to aid polyarchy (Alonso, Keane and Merkel, 2011). The Elitist theory is not an attack on democracy, but rather an aid in understanding democratic parties and how democracy works. Elite theory is an analytical understanding and explanation of how the United States politics is not presented as a solution for the nation (Dye, Schubert and Zeigler, 2009). Elite argued contrary to any active democratic or planned forms of democracy on these grounds, that high level of participation tend to produce bad enactment created by politicians to appeal to poorly educated and informed citizens. They disregard the modern state citizen as a highly experienced social person. Alternatively, they regard a highly motivated society of people as those who know nothing and are not likely to purse insane emotions (Christiano, 2006). Elite theory, states that people are ruled by a limited number of politicians who exercise power for their self-interest, an example is the United States. This theory describes the American system of Government. In recent years, people believe that minority privileged individuals can run the country, but in the past people believed that the country should be ruled by an Elite (Bardes, Shelley and Schmidt, 2010). An Elite, is a group of people who enjoy the majority share of authority or control within a larger group. (Dictionary.com, 2012). Janusauskiene (2011) stated that elite are people who are able, by virtue of their strategic positions in powerful organization, to affect national political outcome regularly and sustainably. The Elite Theory is a theory that states that the upper-class of society should direct the public policy. In the 1970`s in the United States, white male were the only ones allowed to vote and in some state they had to be owners of properties. Women had no rights to vote (Bardes and Mack, 2010). In recent years, the elite theory converges with other theories like pluralist, Marxism, and State Autonomy at a point and differs on others. The fact, still explains that modern societies are controlled by the elite leaders of big authoritative organizations, these organizations are either corporate or governmental. The Americans citizens are able to set limits on the actions on these elite leaders, when there is conflict among the elite leaders. This theory doesn’t fully explain the degree to which corporate owners control the United States. For instance, most elected representatives within the political elite are counting on wealth from family and corporate C.E.O`s to support their financial gain. Preconception in the United States is built on policy making claims and non-profit organizations, as stated in the elite theory, which makes the politicians secondary to these leaders in the organization. Lack on much focus on the conflict arising from the corporate-dominated organization, and working-class organization, under estimate the difference between the two organizations in the elite theory. The working-class is interdependent as illustrated in the elite theory, and set outs a breaking point on what each organization can do. Union’s set-up by the working-class, work with leaders of the corporate-dominated organization once their unions are established. The working-class union is seen as a destructive enemy and the corporate-dominated leaders do everything to abolish them. The union leaders have been defeated by the corporate society since early 1930`.In many European nations, the union leaders had more power because the capitalist were banned by noble and state elite, but in the United States there was no control on attacks of corporate unions. This showed the differences between the United States and European Nations, making elite theory more acceptable in the United States than any other countries. The strength of the American Corporate Community is explained by the composition of organizational and class theory. Capitalism composes of ownership society that has limitless economic resources and political power. It created conflict on issues like wages, taxes and government. In the U.S, corporate owners have created an advanced area of organizational that administers institutional resources, through which they mix and acknowledge their class resources, making it possible to prevent conflict. The interaction of class and organizational importance at the top of all American organizations, including government institutions, leads to class domination in the United States (Domhoff, 2005). In 1974, before the revolution, Portugal elite could be divided into 5 groups namely; nobility, landowners, heads of large businesses, learned professions and high-ranking military officers. These elites connected and associated in a number of ways. The oldest elites were the nobility; they can trace their origin from the Portugal history. The monarchy granted noble titles like duke and count to the nobility. In recent times, titled nobility seemed ancient, but in Portugal this elite stayed on. The second group was the landowners, these elites often diversified into business and industry, sometimes as profit-making enterprises, but mostly because of the status symbol. These elite group was educated and had come from the middle class, they filled the ranks and positions of managers administration, and company presidents. As Portugal economic developed, people depended on the business groups, particularly as the continuity of the system came to depend on the growing economy. The other group was the learned professionals, they included university professors. Lawyers also had privileges; many of them went into government service or became managers of banks and major companies. University professors were also valued. Lastly, the military officers, these men, often came from middle or lower middle-class ranks; they had made it to the top in a very important institution, the armed forces. Education and recruitment in the military were among the few ways that the middle-class youth used to get to the high class-society in Portugal. The military officers never associated with the privileged-class, serious focus was paid to these armed forces because of their importance to the community. Many investment firms, business enterprises, and the exclusive family groups, included the armed forces as a way of compensating them for protection. These elites were closely connected for example, a landowner residing in the urban area got into trade or investment. An affluent business person or industrialist purchased land. The elite household would acquire an education and access the learned professions. During the revolution of 1974, the elite system was destabilised. Many political elites associated with this dynasty were forced to escape, and the businessmen businesses were confiscated. Most of them lost power and popularity during this revolution. The courage of the elite was gone during the revolution of the 1974, and it ended permanently (Mongabay, 1993). South Africa, a British colony attained its independence in 1994. During the 1990, change in all levels of society dismantled apartheid. News leaders emerged taking position in the political organization, as new demands and expectations arose on the political leaders. Since 1948, the governing class was the political elite, the Afrikaners controlled the country. Afrikaners are the German, Dutch and French settlers in South Africa. Afrikaners slowly got their own language and culture, when they mingled with Africans and Asians. They held most high positions in the cabinet, military officers and judiciary; they also controlled the leaders of communities, by taking bureaucratic roles in the civil service and businesses. The Afrikaners authority was pillared by the rule of apartheid, and in most businesses and Government they assisted to enforce the rule of apartheid through these institutions. The whites were less important during the apartheid era in politics and power elite. They were secondary to the Afrikaners in Government sections. The white were qualified when it came to commerce and industry. In 1990, the political and power elites were emerging and were divided into 4 categories namely; political leaders within the Afrikaners, an old generation of black opposition leaders, a young generation and a group of labour leaders. The whites in South Africa rejected democracy and kept themselves in power for decades by use of military. The economic privilege of the elite depended on state enforced procedures which included mobility of labour; this interest favoured the elite. The Afrikaners controlled and took charge of the Government, land and other official posts. The European settlers caused the Twentieth Century apartheid in South Africa, the Afrikaners were the minority people in the country, but they gained control over the Government. The Black people were restricted and they couldn’t vote, but in 1994 the ethic classes were permitted to vote for the first black president. The white owed better houses, education, employment and transport. South Africans were under the command of elite leaders for many years; these people took most of the lands and control of the Government. In conclusion there are several terms used in this research such as democracy, which can be defined as, a set of rules that establish who has the authorization to take common decisions and procedures to be used. Democracy was first used in Ancient Greek, to demonstrate on the rule of people. Representative democracy is a form of Government in which people are elected by means of votes to represent people in a meeting called congress or parliament. In the representative democracy, the minority are protected by the majority, so that they can have a voice in decision-making and law making. Elite theory, states that people are ruled by a limited number of politicians who exercise power for their self-interest, an example is the United States. This theory basically explains the American system of government, which is ruled by the elite people. An Elite, is a group of people who enjoy the majority share of authority or control within a larger group. The American officials were wealthy people, who influenced many businesses and people. Portugal was also controlled by the elite people before the revolution in 1974, the business people, military, nobility and learned controlled the Portugal economy. During this revolution, a majority number of people lost their lands and wealthy and others went into exile. South Africa is a country well known for the Apartheid; it was a colony of the British until 1994 when it attained its independence. It was also ruled by elite leaders who were the Afrikaners; they controlled the judiciary, parliament, military posts and high positions as well. The question many may ask is; is the elite theory a fact? Countries like United States are an example of the elite theory. It clearly shows how powerful people get influence in the Government. Until today, some countries are still under the elite leaders. Reference List Alonso, S., Keane, J. and Merkel, V. eds., 2011. The future of representative democracy . New York: Cambridge University Press. Bardes, B., Shelley, M. and Schmidt, S., 2010. American Government and Politics Today. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. “Democracy,” 2012. [online] Available at: [Accessed 31 October 2012]. Ezra, Vogel, 1975. Modern Japanese Organization and Decision. London: University of California Press. Janusqauskiene, Diana, 2011. Post-communist Democratisation in Lithuania: Elites, parties and youth Political Organization. Amsterdam: Rodopi. Kolar, Miroslav, 2005. What is Democray? [online] Available at: [Accessed 31 October 2012]. Mongabay, 1993. Portugal-The Elite. [online] Available at: [Accessed 31 October 2012]. Mongabay, 1996. South Africa-Politica Elites Trade Unions. [online] Available at: [Accessed 31 October 2012]. Munroe, Trevor, 1983. Introduction to politics: lectures for first students. Kingston: Canoe Press. Touraine, Alaine, and Macey, David, 1997. What is Democracy. Colorado: Westview Press. Thomas, R.D., Schubert, L., and Zeigler, Larmon, 2009. The irony of democracy: An uncommon introduction to American Politics. Boston: Wadsworth. Sato, Kazuo, 1999. Transformation of the Japanese economy. New York: M.E Sharpe Inc. Woolf , Alex, 2005. System of Government: Democracy. London: Evans Brothers Ltd. Read More