Item Details
Skip Navigation Links
   ActiveUsers:4038Hits:20977772Skip Navigation Links
Show My Basket
Contact Us
IDSA Web Site
Ask Us
Today's News
HelpExpand Help
Advanced search

In Basket
  Journal Article   Journal Article
 

ID085895
Title ProperSchumpeter's leadership democracy
LanguageENG
AuthorMackie, Gerry
Publication2009.
Summary / Abstract (Note)Schumpeter's redefinition of representative democracy as merely leadership competition was canonical in postwar political science. Schumpeter denies that individual will, common will, or common good are essential to democracy, but he, and anyone, I contend, is forced to assume these conditions in the course of denying them. Democracy is only a method, of no intrinsic value, its sole function to select leaders, according to Schumpeter. Leaders impose their views, and are not controlled by voters, and this is as it should be, he says. I respond that his leadership democracy is implausible, both descriptively and prescriptively. Competitive election is a necessary, but not a sufficient condition of democracy, not sufficient even for the limited empirical purpose of regime classification. Any adequate definition of democracy must make reference to the common will, the common good, and other values, I submit.
`In' analytical NotePolitical Theory Vol. 37, No. 1; Feb 2009: p.128-153
Journal SourcePolitical Theory Vol. 37, No. 1; Feb 2009: p.128-153
Key WordsJoseph Schumpeter ;  Democracy ;  Elections ;  Common Good ;  Common Will ;  Leadership ;  Regime Classification