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Democracy and Political elites

Democracy and Political elites. Luca Verzichelli / Alessandro Chiaramonte Comparative Political Institutions Academic year 2016-2017. Old and new Elitism. Mosca [1896] and the idea of the Ruling class Pareto [1916] and the dynamics of the Elite circulation

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Democracy and Political elites

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  1. Democracy and Political elites Luca Verzichelli / Alessandro Chiaramonte Comparative PoliticalInstitutions Academicyear 2016-2017

  2. Old and new Elitism • Mosca [1896] and the idea of the Rulingclass • Pareto [1916] and the dynamicsof the Elite circulation • Michels [1911] and the ironlawofoligarchy • Weber and Shumpeter are alsoconsideredclassicelitistsalthoughtheirnotionof elite isalready “contemporary”. • The debate in North America betweenpluralistsand elitistsand mostof the behaviouralistscholars are inspiredby the Europeantehoryofelites • Even a “neo-marxistelitism”? • A newparadigm? Robert Putnam [1976] claimsfor a comparative and empiricalapproach. Later, Higley and Field propose a newtheoreticalperspectivebased on “newelitism”

  3. Elites and the questionofdemocratictransformation • New elitistapproachbuilt on Shumpeter and Lasswell (Sartori, the theoryofdemocracyrevisited, 1987) • Different focus on elite theoryfrom the studiesofdemocraticdynamics (Huntington, the Thirdwave, 1991 vs. Przeworski and others) • Focus on policy outcomes and transformationof policy communities (differentapproaches) • Cultural and historicalpathdependencies (Putnam, makingdemocracyworks, 1993, Bowling alone, 2000) • Elite centredtheoriesnotmentioningelites: - Actor-centredinstitutionalism - Rationalchoiceinstitutionalism

  4. Persistentemphasis on elites’ role …… butwith some variations Elites should rule. But they are differently responsible and differently stratifies (experts, networks, interactions …). Citizens choose between elite proposals but by means of different democratic tools. Result should be an efficient government but with new system of control over elite’s action. Politics is still too (or even more) complex for average citizens. But we should avoid apathy

  5. Redefining all the representative institutionsChallenges to elites or other? • Reintroducing the argument of the decline of representative institutions (quest for participatoy democracy and deliberative democracy) • Decline of party-democracy and emphasis on public opinion (Manin) • Counter-democracy and new social pluralism (Rosanvallon) • Still a relevant role of representative institution but challenges from social complexity, immigration, etc.

  6. Putnam’s lesson: bridging long term elite transformation to macro-explanations A classic picture of long term parliamentary elite change: the decline of nobility and the rise of party professionals (Cotta and Best 2007)

  7. Leader democracy (Koroseny 2005)

  8. Patterns of legislative turnover. Matland and Studlar [2004] Many of the hypotheses are confirmed. Electoral volatility and party system changes remain the most relevant factors of legislative turnover, but a set of institutional factors stemming from the design of electoral institutions is also important. Party ideology is less and less relevant

  9. The quest for internal party democracyHazan and Rahat [2010] (ch. 10) Crucial question: Which candidate selection method better serves democracy? Democracy should be understood and achieved in terms of both intraparty selection and interparty election. However, there is no single method serving all the crucial democratic goals (enforcing participation, producing democratic outputs, providing governmental power and party strength) . A possible selection method: three different selectorates, using moderate requirements for candidacy, and allowing the national center a say in candidate selection. Party democracy not as just participation: Participation can help the party to find the best and most competitive candidate.

  10. Sociology of legislatures [Best & Vogel 2015] • Institutional socialisation • Recruitment • Representative focus • Representative roles • Crisis of parliaments?

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