Robert Dahl Pluralist Democracy Concept

Since 1970s, a wave of democratization that sweeping through the globe has changed the political-map of the world, and more and more countries and areas have set out (or are setting out) on the journey of democracy. However, accompanying the apparently great triumph of democratization, some underdeveloped countries that have just joined democratic procession appear no scene of development and prosperity what anticipated by many people, and unstable political situation and unrest social condition become often and frequent. All of these compel people to reconsider the truth of democracy. In fact, the wave of democratization that starting from 1970s is an expansion of western liberal democracy to the world. It is worth noting that plural democratic theory has an important effect that cannot be ignored on the process of expansion. What is plural democratic theory? How to comprehend and evaluate plural democratic theory? In order to answer these questions, we are required to go back to Robert A. Dahl who is a main representative of plural democratic theory.Chapter one is Introduction. It elaborates the academic motivations of studying Dahl's plural democratic theory. In short, the academic motivations are as follows: democracy as a historically theoretical and practical difficult problem, theoretical motivations behind the wave of democratization since 1970s, and practical significance of studying Dahl's plural democratic theory. It also summarizes the present research situation on Dahl's democratic theory, including the main types of research achievements abroad, and the basic condition of research process in China (Taiwan is included). It then introduces the general way of thinking and the fundamental frame of this dissertation.Chapter two analyzes the emerged historical environment of Dahl's plural democratic theory. It is consisted of three main respects. Firstly,"Academic Background", that is the weakening of capitalist traditional values, the rising of"end of ideology"after the world warâ…¡, and the behavioral revolution of research method in politics. Secondly,"Social conditions", that is the favorable basis of American civil society, the development of interest-group politics after the world warâ…¡, and the decentralized power structure of American local government. Thirdly,"Ideological origins", that is the effect of political pluralism, the use of principles and methods of utilitarianism, and the inheritance and transcendence of the thought of social constrains of power.Chapter three dissects the logical structure of Dahl's plural democratic theory. Because of the change of research method, the grand of theoretical vision, and the complexity of the theory itself, accurate understanding of Dahl's democratic thoughts is a difficult thing. Therefore, the dissertation provides a refinement of logical structure of Dahl's plural democratic theory, that is"one topic, two main lines, three basic fulcrums". Achieving fundamental rights and liberties of human being is the topic, and progressive social development concept and realism democratic thought are the two main lines that running through the whole theory of Dahl. Plural power thought, autonomous groups and independent social organizations, and political equality are the three fulcrums that supporting Dahl's theory.Chapter four researches the system-design of Dahl's plural democratic theory. Viewing from the development of Dahl's theory, the system-design is a process of"trilogy"that from break to construction. Dahl firstly criticized Madison's democratic theory and populist democratic theory, and indicated that they cannot provide empirical guidance in real political practices for mankind. On such a basis, Dahl reconstructed his own analytic frame of democratic theory. It is a four-in-one frame that involves conflict, consensus, size and procedure. The system-design is one of the most significant part of Dahl's plural democratic theory. It not only analyzes the requisite conditions, concrete indices and its essence of Polyarchy, but also generalizes the specific ways to Polyarchy and all kinds of possible factors that may affect Polyarchy. Consequently, it is a clear and concrete system-design.Chapter five discusses dilemmas and transcendence of Dahl's plural democratic theory. With the great changes of social situation, classical pluralism in which Dahl is a main representative has been confronted with more and more conundrums and critiques. In this context, Dahl took serious responses. On the one hand, he admitted that plural democratic theory be confronted with such possible problems as stabilizing political inequality, diluting citizenship, affecting public agenda and resulting in the lost of final control of agenda of citizens. On the other hand, Dahl deeply analyzed all kinds of remedial measures. It is worth mentioning that Dahl's defensive marks of the theory are very conspicuous. The most profound part in Dahl's reflection on transcending dilemmas is his economic democratic theory. Certainly, Dahl also pondered from other respects. For example, he reconsidered and criticized American constitutional system.Chapter six evaluates Dahl's plural democratic theory entirely. This chapter firstly generalizes its historical fate of hot pursuit and persistent criticism, active fight and passive correction of Dahl's plural democratic theory since 1950s, and it also indicates the essence of the theory. From the viewpoint of capitalist democratic politics, Dahl's theory not only has great contributions, but has obvious theoretical limits in many respects. To underdeveloped countries that have been involved in the wave of democratization, keeping sober mind is very important. On the one hand, systematic and objective critiques are necessary. On the other hand, they should also rationally and scientifically comprehend the truth of democratic politics that contained in the theory. Only by this way can underdeveloped countries really enter the procession of democratic nations, and benefit their people.