Robert Dahl: biography and views on democracy

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:47

Dal Robert is a well-known political scientist who has de alt with issues of democracy. He believed that a significant brake on such a political system is the excessive concentration and centralization of power. What is known about the Yale employee? Which political regime did he consider the best?

Short biography

Dal Robert was born on 1915-17-12 in Inwood, Iowa. At the age of twenty-one, he received a bachelor's degree from the University of Washington. Four years later he received a doctorate from Yale University.

He was an employee of many government agencies in the United States. By the end of World War II, he took part in the fighting as a soldier of the American army in Europe. He was awarded the Bronze Star.

After the end of the war, Dahl returned to teaching at Yale University, where he worked until 1986. He became the Stirling Professor of Political Science.

A researcher in the field of political science passed away on 05.02.2014.

Democracy

To understand the concept of Dahl Robert, attention should be paid to his work "Introduction to the Theory of Democracy". The work is considered the first important study of a political scientist. The author points out that the theory of democracy is not convincing for him. He directs his attention to consider several approaches to this problem.

His attention falls on two theories: Madisonian, populist. He studied them in his work. Madison's theory, in his opinion, is focused on issues of minority and majority power, on the role of the central government in the democratic world. This theory is expressed in the activities of American federalists.

There is a classification of political regimes by Robert Dahl:

• Polyarchy - high political competition and citizen participation.
• Competitive oligarchy – high political competition but low citizen participation.
• Open hegemony – low political competition but high citizen participation.
• Closed hegemony – low political engagement and citizen participation.

The political scientist considered polyarchy to be the most acceptable option. What is it?

Polyarchy

Polyarchy Robert Dahl meant a system of political governance, which was carried out through open competition for power between political groups.

Government must constantly respond to the needs of citizens. In this case, three basic rights of the population should be taken into account:

1. Formulationneeds.
2. Informing self-interest through collective or individual action.
3. Having needs that should guide the functioning of government without discrimination.

Dahl came to the conclusion that there is no full-fledged democratic system in the world, so he replaced the generally accepted term with “polyarchy”. He described this political regime in seven institutions:

• Government decisions must be controlled politically. Credentials are issued for a fixed period.
• Elections do not accept violence, they must be open, equal.
• All adult citizens have the right to vote.
• Virtually all adult citizens are eligible to run.
• Citizens have the right to discuss political issues without fear of possible punishment.
• People have the right to use alternative sources of information.
• Citizens can create associations, including political parties, independent of state organizations for their interests.

In Dahl's characterization of polyarchy, it is not just a political system with a set of specific political institutions. Polyarchy is also a process, including a historical one.

The model developed by the political scientist has various interpretations. But the key meaning lies in the presence of the listed political institutions, which ensure democracy for the entire process of political life. Polyarchy is the largest possible system that corresponds toideal of democracy.

On the stability of the polyarchy

Robert Dahl's criteria by which the stability of his system is possible:

• In order to obtain power or to ensure it, the leaders of political life should not use the means of violent coercion. For example, the use of power structures in the form of the police, the army is unacceptable.
• It is important to have a dynamic society that is organized on the principles of pluralism.
• Conflicts around subcultural pluralism need to be balanced with a high level of tolerance.

From this we can conclude that if there are no such conditions in the state, then it is likely that an undemocratic regime will arise in it.

It is important that citizens themselves perceive and use democratic values in order to improve their own lives. A positive attitude towards democracy directly depends on the history of each state. Features of historical development are reflected in religion, political culture, folk traditions.

Scientific contributions

Professor Dahl Robert has significantly influenced political science. He studied the distribution of power, the foundations of democracy and pluralism.

In his opinion, democracy must meet the following minimum requirements, which are described above.

He was awarded the Schutte Prize for Political Science in 1995.

Criticism

Farly agree with Robert Dahl's researchNot all. For example, the political philosopher Blattberg was opposed to defining democracy by listing minimum requirements.