How does democracy accomodate elitism?

Question

Is there a fundamental problem at all between these ideas?
The idea is that education gives a person more tools with which to understand the world, and thus, to make good decisions about it.
Democracy holds that the dignity of man must signify each individual's voice needs to be heard equally.
But clearly, not everyone has the same knowledge of the world. How can democracies solve this dillemma and avoid becoming mob rules?

Answer 1

Aristotle outlines that there are three primary types of government: rule of one, rule of a few, rule of all. He further divides the types into good and bad types: royalty and tyranny, aristocracy and oligarchy, republic and democracy. The primary difference between good and bad governments, in Aristotle's opinion, is that good governments observe virtue in the form of a constitution, and poor governments neglect virtue in favor of whims.

As early as Aristotle and as late as the founders of America, democracy was a derogatory term, in the same way that dictatorship is a derogatory term to us. The founders never used the term "democracy" with regards to their new nation; republic was used, instead. In modern terms, republic is somewhat of an antiquated word, and democracy has instead mutated to replace it. However, it is a common criticism that we as a civilization do not make the distinction between good democracies and bad democracies, we see it in a linear line, with rule of one (bad) vs rule of all (good).

Modern governments are specifically built upon Aristotlean values, into a sort of fusion that combines the best elements of the three types of government.

We have a principal executive, in the form of a president or prime minister, who acts as the commander in chief of the military, as well as the chief executive officer of the government, capable of carrying out duties as needed. The separation of powers acts as a buffer against the executive, removing any sort of legislative or judicial power, thus prevents our societies from descending into tyrannies.

We have an elected body of officials, in the form of a congress or parliament. The best elements of an elected body that handles the legislative branch is that decisions have to be deliberated on, they have to be rational, and they have to reflect the majority of the body, who are the chosen voice of the people. A constitution that limits the power of government, which among other things sets term limits, prevents our governing class from becoming exclusive and oligarchial.

That the legislative body is elected by the people means that the best interests of the people are always going to be heard. However, the fact that the people do not vote on specific issues has virtually eliminated the concept of a "bad democracy" from our vernacular.

This represents the pinnacle of human government. It has been called, at various times in history, a republic, or a represenative democracy, or a liberal democracy, with the latter being the preferred modern term.

It's not perfect, but you'd be a fool to expect perfection. It allows for elitism, but it is the natural tendency of humans to form themselves into cliques. One can observe a pecking order in everything from high schools, to prisons, to our evolutionary cousins (the great apes), to society itself. Every modern attempt to establish a "classless" society has met with abysmal failure and has descended into monstrous tyranny.

One curiosity of United States government is that traditionally, the chief executive was not elected through mass vote, they were chosen by an election of the states. Julius Caesar was famous for being elected dictator-for-life with the approval of the people. This is obviously a deviation from the founders' vision, and only time will tell when an American Julius Caesar rises to absolute power with the complete consent of the people.

Answer 2

What does education have to do with democracy? Democracy is about citizens voting. For example, if you lived in ancient Sparta, there were these people that were citizens that could vote and all their education was military, and then there were these other people that the citizens got to beat up a few times a year called... Well, anyway, they did all the menial labor, but since they weren't citizens they didn't get to vote. Honestly, why should you give a damn about the views of someone that couldn't beat you up in ancient Sparta? Anyhow, these girly-people did goofy things like learn art and science and whatnot.

The point is, Spartan democracy was BASED ON elitism!

DUH!

As if there's some special feature of Democracy alone that makes men special...

Answer 3

Mob rule is tempered by the enlightened self-interest of those that have something to lose. But most systems called democracies are actually republics. In a republic, we are not so much driven to hear every voice equally as we are in making it possible for every voice can be heard. In a democratic republic (assuming it is stable and effective) there are checks and balances that protect the minority from the tyranny of the majority, and a deliberative, rather than reactive process by which decisions get made. So the most effective form of democracy, a republic, builds in 'elitism' by having a few elite citizens represent the interests of different mass constituencies. But in this system, being a member of the 'elite' is open to anyone who can convince masses that they are worthy of their support.

Answer 4

I often thought about the voice being heard, and it usually can be, but not for the good reasons we would hope for. Day late and dollar short applies here when explaining the accommodations to the elite. Sorry; you have missed the deadline to receive, and now it must go to another. I'm sorry for the cold in my head; I couldn't understand a single word you said. I had a dream before I woke this morning , and now that dream is gone.

Answer 5

Democracy provides no guarantee of freedom from tyrrany, terror or ignorance. Like all forms of human social organization, it is as frail and as finite as the humanity that it represents. It was believed that such systems could be sustained if the citizens dedicated themselves to a life of virtue. But modernity abandoned the conditions for the possibility of virtue in its rejections of transcendence and its radical subjectivism. As such, the decadence of modern democracy is found in its current condition-- it is merely an expression of every man for himself and the domination of self interest.

Answer 6

elitism is the different of democracy what the heck are they coaching you young ones at the instant?..i heard from a sixteen 12 months previous they're putting new international order propaganda in textbooks...is that real?

Answer 7

Democracy, as you put it, is simply a facade behind which elitism operates.

Answer 8

only through dramatic social change facilitated by the average human being.