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Single Idea 7477

[filed under theme 24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 5. Democracy / d. Representative democracy ]

Full Idea

What we regard as democracy in the twenty-first century is actually elective oligarchy.

Gist of Idea

Modern democracy is actually elective oligarchy

Source

Peter Watson (Ideas [2005], Ch.06)

Book Ref

Watson,Peter: 'Ideas: from fire to Freud' [Phoenix 2006], p.171

A Reaction

Even dictatorships want to be called 'democracies'. The modern system is a bit of a concession to Plato, and he would probably have preferred it to his system, because at least the rulers tend to be more educated than the direct assembly.

The 20 ideas with the same theme [the people chose a small group to govern]:

22533 If the people are equal in nature, then they should all share in ruling [Aristotle]
2817 It is wrong that a worthy officer of state should seek the office [Aristotle]
22576 No office is permanent in a democracy [Aristotle]
7254 If you try to get elected, you should be permanently barred from seeking office [More,T]
19998 If deputies represent people, they are accountable, but less so if they represent places [Montesquieu]
7251 The English are actually slaves in between elections [Rousseau]
20558 Your representative owes you his judgement, and betrays you if he gives your opinion instead [Burke]
22041 Representatives by region ignores whether they care about the national interest [Hegel, by Pinkard]
20504 People can only participate in decisions in small communities, so representatives are needed [Mill]
16009 When we seek our own 'freedom' we are just trying to avoid responsibility [Kierkegaard]
22682 Universal suffrage is no guarantee of wise choices [Tocqueville]
7976 People like democracy because it means they can avoid power [Baudrillard]
22264 Modern liberal rights in democracies protect individuals against the majority [Sandel]
23260 A cap on time of service would restrict party control and career ambitions [Grayling]
7477 Modern democracy is actually elective oligarchy [Watson]
20093 In the 18th century democratic lots lost out to elections, that gave us a non-hereditary aristocracy [Reybrouck]
20091 Representative elections were developed in order to avoid democracy [Reybrouck]
21126 Representative should be either obedient, or sensible, or typical [Shorten]
21128 There is 'mirror representation' when the institution statistically reflects the population [Shorten]
21127 In a changed situation a Mandated Representative can't keep promises and fight for constituents [Shorten]