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An Analysis from Joseph Schumpeter, Robert Dahl, and Anthony Downs

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An Analysis from Joseph Schumpeter, Robert Dahl, and Anthony Downs Journal of Political Science and International Relations 2019; 2(4): 79-85 http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/j/jpsir doi: 10.11648/j.jpsir.20190204.11 ISSN: 2640-2769 (Print); ISSN: 2640-2785 (Online) The Role and Limits of Representative Democracy: An Analysis from Joseph Schumpeter, Robert Dahl, and Anthony Downs Jochua Abrão Baloi Faculty of Ethics, Human and Legal Sciences of the University of Saint Thomas of Mozambique, Maputo, Mozambique Email address: To cite this article: Jochua Abrão Baloi. The Role and Limits of Representative Democracy: An Analysis from Joseph Schumpeter, Robert Dahl, and Anthony Downs. Journal of Political Science and International Relations . Vol. 2, No. 4, 2019, pp. 79-85. doi: 10.11648/j.jpsir.20190204.11 Received : September 11, 2019; Accepted : October 7, 2019; Published : October 31, 2019 Abstract: This article comes about with the objective of analyzing in a comparative way the role and limits of representative democracy in the perspective of Joseph Schumpeter, Robert Dahl and Anthony Downs. In practice, it seeks to understand the ideas launched by these three theorists in the quest for a perception of what will become a democracy and its importance in the formation and constitution of the modern democracies. The central argument presented in this article is that in a truly democratic political system, popular participation is an essential element for the construction and execution of political actions. J. Schumpeter conceives democracy as a method that societies use to elect their representatives. R. Dahl conceives it as a polyarchy where both, the degree of incorporation of individuals and the level of institutionalization must be maximized and, A. Downs conceives democracy as a type of government where there should be fair and periodic elections, and one or more parties must compete for government control. Therefore, it is by analyzing the political thinking regarding the power and the representative democracy of these theorists that one perceives how the State left its natural character, thus assuming its civil personality, through the formation of the social contract. Keywords: Democracy, State, Government, Polyarchy arrangement in order to arrive at political decisions, and that 1. Introduction individuals hold power through competition for popular vote. This article discusses the role and limits of representative In their view, the elites have a political rationality and, democracy from the perspective of Joseph Schumpeter therefore, they are the only ones who can make decisions, (1883-1950), Robert Dahl (1915-2014) and Anthony Downs and it is up to society to elect them by voting. Thereafter, “if (1930-), taking as a research focus their works, “ Capitalism, classical elitists were looking for a way to deny democracy, Socialism and Democracy ”, “ A Preface to Democratic while much to the contrary grudgingly tolerate it, Theory ” and “ An Economic Theory of Democracy ”, Schumpeter presented it as a defensible and desirable regime respectively. of government from an elitist perspective” [1]. This article also shows that for Schumpeter, democracy is From Dahl's perspective, democracy is a polyarchy where conceived as a method that societies use to elect their one should maximize the degree of incorporation on the one representatives, i.e, individuals have the power to decide hand and the level of institutionalization on the other hand. through competition and popular vote. In any definition of These elements contribute to the understanding of his democracy as a form of government, participation appears as democracy as an elitist by giving participation a leading role an essential element. Therefore, democracy not only in political decision-making process. guarantees freedom for every citizen to run for power, but Thus, for Dahl, a stable government requires competition also regulates the struggles for that power. and political participation, and society must be founded on It is in this sense that Schumpeter argues that in today's democratic institutions. The existence of democratic democracies, there are elites who make an institutional institutions is essential for the development of a polyarchy, 80 Jochua Abrão Baloi: The Role and Limits of Representative Democracy: An Analysis from Joseph Schumpeter, Robert Dahl, and Anthony Downs which requires the responsiveness of the rulers to the view is a government of the elected elites. preferences and / or interests of the citizens. Consequently, Thus, Schumpeter considers democracy as a political Dahl “places greater emphasis on participation, giving method, i.e, “a certain kind of institutional arrangement to citizens a more active role. Polyarchy, therefore, cannot be arrive at a political decision (legislative or administrative) understood as purely proceduralist” [2]. and therefore incapable of being an end in itself, unrelated to Downs conceives a democracy as a type of government the decisions it will produce under certain historical where there must be fair and periodic elections, and one or conditions” [4]. more parties must compete for government control. These With this argument, it is clear that the institutional elements lead to consider that he has a pluralistic conception arrangement is aimed at achieving the common good, and of power. only the people have the ability to decide through elections, Using the model of economic theory of democracy, Downs the choice of individuals capable of representing their general considers that individuals possess instrumental rationality will. and that they maximize their preferences. Therefore, his Regardless of democracy as a political or democratic democratic thinking is a reflection so that citizens must have method, Schumpeter states that this method is important sufficient information about government actions, and they since, individuals acquire the power to decide through a must evaluate their actions, thus avoiding manipulation of competition, that presupposes free votes of the population. economic and social policies. In Downs perspective, These elements lead to realize that Schumpeter conceives an “democracy is characterized sometimes as a mechanism for explanatory and / or elitist theory of democracy. guaranteeing peaceful competition among elites for control Therefore, in this competition there is an idea of leadership of the state apparatus, sometimes as an instrument for that is the criterion used to distinguish democratic from aggregating pre-political preferences” [3]. undemocratic governments. Thus, the electoral method is Therefore, while in Schumpeter democracy is conceived as considered essential because it is the only method available a political method of selecting rulers, in Dahl it is a to communities of any size in conducting competition within polyarchy. Therefore, a full realization of the founding democratic regimes [5]. principles of democracy, where the right to vote extends to Therefore, in the “Schumpeterian version, the electoral the whole population and that political competition involves process fulfills a similar role of society´s establishment pact; distinct groups, and in Downs, democracy is an important it is the moment of transferring power from isolated method for gaining the stability for rationality. individuals to the rulers. From then on, it is up to the citizen The methodological construction that guides this article to have the duty of obedience, a freely consented obedience, involves a symbiosis of several methods (Qualitative, because it has born of a presumed act of will” [6]. Monographic, Bibliographic), combining them with the As for voters in this perspective, they do nothing but they reflexive hermeneutic for the effective reach of the choose a government or leader, and when he does not match theoretical and historical reference on the conception of their wishes, he is dispossessed. This is why some conditions democracy in Schumpeter, Dahl and Downs. are required for the success of the democratic method. The This article is divided into three parts, besides the first condition advanced by Schumpeter is tha “the human introduction and conclusion. In the first, a theoretical material of politics (the members of the political machine, approach to the conception of democracy in Schumpeter, those who are elected to serve in parliament and attain Dahl and Downs is presented. Then is discussed the ministerial posts) are of sufficiently high quality. This means subtleties that underlie their ideals of democracy, presenting more than the existence of a sufficient number of individuals the similarities and differences among them, and finally are with the necessary moral qualities and standards” [4]. presented the contribution of their thoughts to the Despite the existence of highly qualified politicians, this constitution and formation of modern democracies. presupposes the exercise of politics as an activity by vocation. This idea of the exercise of politics as a vocation joins the who lives for politics, transforms it in the end of his 2. The Conception of Democracy in life. Because the exercise of this activity allows him to find Schumpeter, Dahl and Downs: A either the inner balance and express personal value, putting Literature Review himself at the service of a cause that gives meaning to his life. This is a financially stable man and does not depend on The book " Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy " (1961) remuneration for his political activities, i.e, he makes politics by Joseph Schumpeter opens in the world of democracy a vocation
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