What, if anything, is special about democracy?
Key readings
- Carlos Nino, Alternative conceptions of democracy, in The Constitution of Deliberative Democracy, New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press, 1996, ch. 4.
- Brian Barry, Is democracy special?, in Democracy, Power and Justice: Essays in Political Theory, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1989, ch. 2.
- Jon Elster, The market and the forum, in Derek Matravers & Jonathan E. Pike (eds.), Debates in Contemporary Political Philosophy: An Anthology, London: Routledge, 2003, ch. 20.
Further reading
- Anthony Birch, The Concepts and Theories of Modern Democracy, 3rd ed., London: Routledge, 2007, part II.
- Ian Budge, Direct democracy: setting appropriate terms of debate, in David Held (ed.), Prospects for Democracy: North, South, East, West, Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, 1993, ch. 6.
- Joshua Cohen, Deliberation and democratic legitimacy, in Alan P. Hamlin & Philip Pettit (eds.), The Good Polity: Normative Analysis of the State, Oxford: Blackwell, 1989, ch. 1.
- Robert Dahl, On Democracy, New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press, 1998, parts I-III.
- James Fishkin, Democracy and Deliberation: New Directions for Democratic Reform, New Haven: Yale University Press, 1991, chs. 1-6, 8.
- David Held, Models of Democracy, 3rd ed., Cambridge: Polity, 2007, chs. 1-6.
- Iain McLean, Public Choice: An Introduction, Oxford: Blackwell, 1987, chs. 3-5, 8.
- William Nelson, On Justifying Democracy, London: Routledge, 1980.
- John Stuart Mill, Considerations on Representative Government, London: Parker, Son, and Bourn, 1861.
- David Miller, Deliberative democracy and social choice, Political Studies, vol. 40 (August, 1992), pp. 54-67.
- Adam Przeworski, Minimalist conception of democracy: a defense, in Ian Shapiro & Casiano Hacker-Cordón (eds.), Democracy’s Value, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999, ch. 1.
- Joseph Schumpeter, Two concepts of democracy, in Anthony Quinton (ed.), Political Philosophy, London: Oxford University Press, 1967, ch. 9.
- Is democracy simply about majority rule?
- What is the role of representation in a democracy?
- What is the role, if any, of elites in a democracy?
- Is democracy necessary for liberty?
- Can a plausible case be made for direct or participatory democracy?
- Is there any role for direct democracy within modern political systems?
- Does the value of democracy depend on the character of citizens?
- Are the benefits of democratic decision-making entirely consequentialist?
- Can representation improve democratic decision-making?
- Does true democracy require high levels of popular participation?
- “Without good citizens we will lack good laws, and without good laws we will lack good citizens.” To what extent, if at all, is this a problem for democratic societies?