U.S. Government and Civics / Unit 1: Foundations of Government
1.6 Models of Democracy
Notes
Political scientists describe three models of how democracy works in the United States.
- Participatory democracy: broad participation by ordinary citizens in politics, such as voting, town meetings and ballot initiatives.
- Pluralist democracy: groups with shared interests compete to influence policy; no single group dominates. Interest groups are an example.
- Elite democracy: a small number of wealthy, educated or powerful people have the most influence. The Electoral College and the original indirect election of senators reflect this idea.
- All three models exist in the U.S. at the same time.
- Example: a neighborhood group and a business association both lobby the city council about a new park. This shows pluralism.
Practice
Voters in a state approve a new law directly through a ballot initiative. This best reflects which model?
Citizens are taking part directly in making policy.
Many interest groups, such as farmers, teachers and environmental groups, compete to influence a law. This best reflects:
Pluralism focuses on competition among groups.
Which feature of the original Constitution best reflects elite democracy?
Before the 17th Amendment (1913), state legislatures, not voters, chose senators.
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