Cunningham - Theories of Democracy A Critical Introduction

Theories of Democracy

Theories of Democracy: a critical introduction is a comprehensive and accessible introduction to the main theories of democracy, covering the historical development of the many different forms and the problems faced by each.

Frank Cunningham begins with the development of democracy from ancient Greece to the present day, examining the views of prominent figures such as Aristotle, John Stuart Mill, Rousseau, Alexis de Tocqueville, and Schumpeter. He explains the main objections to democracy, including the challenges of majority tyranny, irrational decision-making procedures and ineffectual government. Cunningham distinguishes between several competing theories of democracy: liberal democracy, classic pluralism, catallaxy, participatory democracy, deliberative democracy, and radical pluralism. A detailed case study uses the example of globalization to show how the various democratic theories are concretely applied, and notes the strengths and weaknesses of the different theories in coping with the problem that globalization poses for democratic structures. Theories of Democracy contains three helpful discussion sections that concentrate on the recurrent themes of liberal democracy and capitalism, democracy and representation, and the value of democracy.

Clearly written and focusing on contemporary debate, Theories of Democracy provides an accessible introduction for the student or general reader and also makes an original contribution to contemporary political philosophy.

Frank Cunningham is a lecturer in the philosophy department at the University of Toronto. He is the author of Democratic Theory and Socialism (1987) and The Real World of Democracy (1994).

Routledge Contemporary Political Philosophy

Edited by David Archard, University of St Andrews
and Ronald Beiner, University of Toronto

Routledge Contemporary Political Philosophy is an exciting new series for students of philosophy and political theory. Designed for those who have already completed an introductory philosophy or politics course, each book in the series introduces and critically assesses a major topic in political philosophy. Long-standing topics are refreshed and more recent ones made accessible for those coming to often complex issues and arguments for the first time. After introducing the topic in question, each book clearly explains the central problems involved in understanding the arguments for and against competing theories. Relevant contemporary examples are used throughout to illuminate the problems and theories concerned, making the series essential reading not only for philosophy and politics students but those in related disciplines such as sociology and law. Each book in the series is written by an experienced author and teacher with special knowledge of the topic, providing a valuable resource for both students and teachers alike.

Forthcoming titles:

Multiculturalism

Ayelet Shachar

Equality

Melissa Williams

Public Reason and Deliberation

Simone Chambers

Theories of Democracy

A critical introduction

Frank Cunningham

First published 2002

by Routledge

2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN

Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada

by Routledge

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Reprinted 2005, 2006

Transferred to Digital Printing 2008

Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business

2002 Frank Cunningham

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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Cunningham, Frank, 1940

Theories of democracy: a critical introduction / Frank Cunningham.

p. cm. (Routledge contemporary political philosophy)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. Democracy. I. Title. II. Series.

JC423 .C794 2001

321.8dc21

2001034998

ISBN 10: 0-415-22878-6 (hbk)

ISBN 10: 0-415-22879-4 (pbk)

ISBN 13: 978-0-415-22878-7 (hbk)

ISBN 10: 978-0-415-22879-4 (pbk)

Contents

Figures

3 Voter/political party variations
(Downe 1957: 11819, 122)

4 Democratic rule-making variables
(Buchan and Tullock 1962: 71)

6 Domains of global democracy
(Saward 2000: 39)

Acknowledgements

This book was commissioned by David Archard and Ronald Beiner on behalf of Routledge to be an introduction to democratic theory addressed to an educated readership. The plan of the book is outlined at the beginning of . In its preparation I was aided by Professors Archard and Beiner themselves and by Nader Hashemi and the editoral staff of Routledge. I am also grateful to Derek Allen, H.D. Forbes, Joseph Heath, Lynda Lange, Chantal Mouffe, Richard Sandbrook, and Melissa Williams for valuable feedback on draft chapters. Though the book is by no means a publication of lectures, I have greatly profited from the stimulating and insightful contributions of my philosophy and political science students in a course on democratic theory at the University of Toronto over the past several years. My wife, Maryka Omatsu, generously endured me through another writing project, which, yet again, proved to be easier to undertake in anticipation than in fact.

Toronto
August 2001

Chapter 1

Introduction

This book aims to provide a map through a selection of contemporary democratic theories. As with an actual map, readers already familiar with the terrain will find it lacking in important detail, and as is known by students of cartography there are alternative and quite different strategies for organizing a map. Still, the book should give readers with little prior background in democratic theory one overall picture of the lay of the land. Or rather, it covers some land, as the map is not a global one, but is confined to democratic theories in Western Europe and North America and, even more narrowly, to theorists whose work is written in English or that have found their way into widespread publication in this language. The reason is not belief that no other important democratic theorizing is to be found, but simply because the book is prepared by an Anglo-North American, drawing upon the democratic-theoretical work of his own intellectual environment.

Just as a map indicates routes to a variety of destinations while remaining mute about which of them one should take or what to do on arrival, so this book will be more descriptive than prescriptive. At the same time, it would be naive of me or of readers to suppose that the discussions that follow are not influenced by my political values and democratic-theoretical proclivities. Partly to make these opinions transparent, (Democratic Pragmatism) will outline the perspective in terms of which I strive to make sense of democracy and democratic theories. It is adopted from the political theory explicated by John Dewey in his