Democracy and its critics

In this thoughtful, wide-ranging book one of the most prominent political theorists of our era makes a major statement about what democracy is and why it is important. Robert Dahl examines the most basic assumptions of democratic theory, tests them against the questions raised by serious critics (both adversarial and sympathetic), and recasts the theory of democracy into a new and coherent whole. He concludes by discussing the directions in which democracy must move if advanced democratic states are to exist in the future.
What "rule by the people" means, writes Dahl, has always been ambiguous and controversial, in part because Greek, Roman, medieval, and Renaissance notions intermingle with those of later centuries to produce a jumble of theory and practices that are often deeply inconsistent. Dahl discusses the perplexing questions about democracy that confront us as a result. What constitutes a "people" entitled to rule themselves? Who is entitled to participate in ruling? How does the size of the political system affect the nature of democracy? Is democracy a set of political institutions or a process? Is the democratic process justified if it leads to unjust or immoral outcomes ? Acknowledging the limitations of modern democracy, Dahl nevertheless strongly defends it against its principal adversaries, of which guardianship (rule by a "qualified" minority) is the most important. He traces modern democracy's evolution from the early nineteenth century to the present, investigates how and why it has developed in some countries and not in others, and in view of the inescapable pluralism of modern society asks whether and how the common good can be achieved.