Dahl introduced the term polyarchy to characterize American
politics and other political systems that are open, inclusive, and competitive
(Polyarchy, 1971). The concept allowed him to make a distinction between an
ideal system of democracy and institutional arrangements that approximate this
ideal. Thus, polyarchies are based on the principle of representative rather
than direct democracy and therefore constitute a form of minority rule, yet
they are also (imperfectly) democratized systems that limit the power of elite
groups through institutions such as regular and free elections.
Despite his critique of elite-power theory, Dahl was faulted after
the publication of Who Governs? for underestimating the importance of
broad-based civic participation. Indeed, in Who Governs? Dahl had argued that
democracy does not require mass participation and in fact rests on the consent
of a relatively apathetic population. Later, in Democracy and Its Critics
(1989), he recognized the value of an active citizenry and associated polyarchy
with political rights such as freedom of expression and association.*
* “Robert A. Dahl.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia
Britannica Online Academic Edition. Encyclopedia Britannica Inc., 2013. Web. 20
Oct. 2013.
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