Semi sovereign people

            There is the inevitable fact that the largest percentage of the population cannot get into the pressure system to be adequately represented (Schattscheider 417). This is due to the theories that are put forth regarding the democratization of states that seem to indicate that there is equal representation in the various forms of democracy. In fact, the definition of democracy ideally and conventionally cannot fit with the real and current occurrence of such governance. If the definition cannot fit the modern context then this means that the perception that exists of democracy is not true and needs to be re-adjusted. The reason that can be given for this is lies in the convectional definition of government. The definition saw democracy as self-government (Schattscheider 127). In light of this, the perception of democracy has been merely theoretical and is oblivious to the practical sense. There needs to be a cleared role definition especially the role of the public in democracy. If there was an articulate view of the governance that is attributed to democracy, there will be emergence of the fact that only a potion of the multitude actually rules while the rest is indifferent.

An analysis then shows that the public does not play its theoretical role in democracy. This is because it did play its full theoretical role there would millions upon millions of opinions on numerous matters (Schattscheider 131). The result is that a portion of the multitude that is to play the political role in the theoretical description of democracy chooses to be indifferent out of sensibility and logic. At this point, the definition and the perception of convectional democracy theorist fails to fit the frame. Here lies the reason why the multitude cannot simply decide on everything. To recap, first there far too many opinions and numerous issues that the government would have to deal with and secondly there is the wide spread ignorance among the public regarding the issue of public interest. The latter can be attributed to a lethargic attitude that is adapted by the multitude of “let them take care of it, they are in power anyway”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reference:

Schattschneider E. E., The semi sovereign people: a realist’s view of democracy in America,          New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1960