Pluralist democracy amplifies the already privileged
Evidence
In our words, social capital is self-reinforcing and benefits most those who already have a stock on which to trade. As long as associationalism is class biased, as virtually every study suggests it is, then pluralist democracy will be less than egalitarian. In the famous words of the political scientist E. E. Schattschneider: “The flaw in the pluralist heaven is that the heavenly chorus sings with a strong upper-class accent.” — Robert D. Putnam, Bowling Alone The Collapse and Revival…, 1187
Categorization
- XREF: connects to: Liberal democracies are simultaneously mechanisms of domination and empowerment — Cristian Tileagă, The Nature of Prejudice: Society,…, 47; Democracies split between imposed dominance and emergent self-determination — David Theo Goldberg, The Threat of Race: Reflections on…, 709; Democracy can function on recognition by only a minority (+8 more)
Broader Connections
- Liberal democracies are simultaneously mechanisms of domination and empowerment
#corroborates(0.85) — Cristian Tileagă, The Nature of Prejudice, 47 - Democracies split between imposed dominance and emergent self-determination
#corroborates(0.80) — David Theo Goldberg, The Threat of Race, 709 - Democracy can function on recognition by only a minority
#qualifies(0.80) - Liberal constitutional democracy historically reserved political reality to economically privileged minorities.
#corroborates(0.80) — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School, 2336 - Democracy depends on recognizing politically unequal differences
#expands(0.75) — David Theo Goldberg, John Solomos, A Companion to Racial and Ethnic Studies, 2692 - Democratic existence needs wealth limits, public-good citizenship, and discerning citizens
#expands(0.75) — Wendy Brown, Undoing the Demos, 365 - Democracy is power’s technical character normalized in moral terms
#expands(0.75) — Niklas Luhmann, Trust and Power, 745 - Unlimited individual freedom breeds new repression through natural inequality
#corroborates(0.75) — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 534