2. Outline of this class
• Welcome and introductions
• What do we mean by ‘democracy’?
• Democratic theory as a field of study
• Approach of this course
• Course format and practicalities
3. Introductions
1. What is your name?
2. What are you hoping to get out of this course?
3. What is the most democratic situation, institution or practice you
can think of?
5. Democracy as rule by the people
• The word derives from the ancient Greek demokratia, a compound of
demos (the people) and kratia (rule), so ‘democracy’ means rule by
the people
• But it’s not as simple as it seems! What is meant by ‘rule by’ and ‘the
people’ is not obvious, and democratic ideas evolved considerably
over the course of history
• E.g., representation vs. direct participation in government? ‘The people’ as a
select few vs. voting rights for all adult citizens?
6. Democracy as a matter of degree
• Much political rhetoric (and some political scientists) suggest that
democracy is a matter of either/or – either societies are democratic
or they are not
• By contrast, most democratic theorists hold that democracy is a
matter of degree, which means that even ‘democratic’ societies only
approximate democratic ideals
7. Democracy as a contested concept
• ‘Democracy’ is one of the most widely accepted political values and
political actors often invoke it to justify or criticise certain courses of
action, yet they use the term to mean very different things
• Democracy can be classified as an ‘essentially contested concept’ in
that its meaning is subject to ongoing debate and, by its nature,
contestable
• We can only examine to what extent political practices approximate
particular understandings of democratic ideals
9. What is a ‘theory’?
• In general, a ‘theory’ is a set of statements intended to explain or
evaluate certain phenomena
• Democratic theories seek to give coherent expression to a set of
values, beliefs and principles which may be shared more widely by
other people
• Democratic theories can be used to identify and distinguish political
positions and underlying values, clarify what is at stake in debates,
and inform or critically assess political practices
10. Questions about democracy
Democratic theories – implicitly or explicitly – address three sets of
questions (Cunningham, 2002, pp.10-14):
1. Semantic questions about the meaning of ‘democracy’ and related
concepts, such as ‘liberty’, ‘equality’, etc.
2. Normative questions about the value of (a particular form of)
democracy
3. Descriptive questions concerning the way states or societies called
democratic actually function
11. Democratic theory as a field of study
• Democratic theory (and political theory more generally) only evolved
as an academic field of study in the 20th
century
• Within contemporary academia, democratic theorists tend to be
based in Politics and Philosophy departments
• Democratic theory often refers back to pre-20th
century writers and
philosophers who did not think of themselves as ‘democratic
theorists’ or even as ‘democrats’
• In this short course, we will encounter both historical thinkers and
contemporary democratic theorists
12. Western bias
• The field has been shaped by intellectual traditions in Europe and
North America, and contemporary democratic theory is still Western-
centric
• This course will focus on the main theories and developments that are
directly relevant to Scotland and the UK, but also consider some
issues of global reach
14. A historical approach
• We will adopt a broadly historical approach to distinguish three
intellectual traditions (or ‘classic models’ of democracy), and to trace
the evolution of modern mass democracies
• In addition, we will look at more recent political developments –
from Thatcherism and globalisation to the rise of right-wing populism
in the 21st
century – which provide the backdrop for contemporary
debates in democratic theory
15. Theory and practice
• The course aim is not to discuss theoretical questions in the abstract,
or to evaluate different democratic theories
• Rather, we will use theories as tools to contrast different meanings of
democracy, and to critically examine to what extent democratic
aspirations are realised in practice
• We will frequently discuss concrete examples, but the course does
not systematically examine practices in a specific context (such as
Scotland or the UK)
16. Democratic learning
• The course aims to provide opportunities for students to reflect on
their experiences as citizens, engage in dialogue with each other, and
(individually and collectively) direct their own learning
• As part of the credit assessment, you will conduct a case study on a
topic of your own choosing
• In Week 10, we will discuss topics suggested by the class and you are
invited to present findings of your case study
17. Course learning outcomes
On completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. distinguish different models of democracy and their normative assumptions;
2. apply democratic theories to critically assess political institutions and
practices;
3. reflect on the nature of citizenship and identify ways to participate in public
life;
4. engage in dialogue about the meaning and value of democracy;
5. present arguments clearly and coherently.
18. Course outline
1. Introduction
2. Classic Models I: Athenian Democracy
3. Classic Models II: Civic Republicanism
4. Classic Models III: Liberal Constitutionalism
5. Modern Democracy I: Representative Government
6. Modern Democracy II: The Role of the State
7. Modern Democracy III: The Global Context
8. The Future of Democracy I: Alternative Models
9. The Future of Democracy II: Innovations and Reforms
10. The Future of Democracy III: Student Forum
20. Reading and discussion
Read the excerpt from Fishkin (2011) on the handout; take notes and
write down your thoughts:
1. What ‘innovative’ democratic method did the Greek PASOK party
employ in 2006?
2. In what ways does this 21st
century project resemble democratic
practices in ancient Athens?
21. Reference list
Cunningham, F., 2002. Introduction: In: Theories of Democracy: A Critical
Introduction. London: Routledge.
Fishkin, J.S., 2011. Democratic Aspirations. In: When the People Speak: Deliberative
Democracy and Public Consultation. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Ch. 1.
Held, D., 2006. Introduction. In: Models of Democracy. 3rd ed. Cambridge: Polity.
23. Centre for Open Learning
The University of Edinburgh
Paterson’s Land
Holyrood Road
Edinburgh EH8 8AQ
T: 0131 6504400
E: col@ed.ac.uk
W: www.ed.ac.uk/open-learning
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