The Place and the Role of Elites in Liberal Democracy

Year 2022, Issue: 106, 1 - 34, 26.06.2022

Cennet Uslu

https://doi.org/10.36484/liberal.1096954

Abstract

The classical understanding of democracy has been criticized on the grounds that it does not reflect the practical functioning of modern democracy and is unrealistic. Many theorists have attempted to develop a realistic theory of modern democracy based on empiricism. These writers, who are generally referred to as theorists of democratic elitism, argued that the elites are the dominant element in democracies, not the people or will of the majority. Based on empirical research; they argued that the public is uninterested, uninformed, irrational, short-sighted, self- interested when it comes to political issues, and has a more negative view of rights, freedoms and democracy than the elite. Based on the issue of scale and the research implications mentioned, they argued that elites have a fundamental place and a vital role in democracies. They concluded that representative democracy, and therefore elites make democracy possible in modern society. For the establishment and stability of liberal democracies; they argued that the elites should have a voluntary consensus on the basic rules and values of democracy, that there should be multiple elites instead of a single integrated elite, that the elites should compete for the votes of the electorate in order to take office, that the elites should have partially autonomy from their constituents and that the elites should have particular qualifications in terms of morality and competence.

Keywords

Democratic Elitism, Competitive Democracy, Elite Consensus, Elites, People

Liberal Demokraside Elitlerin Yeri ve Rolü

Abstract

Demokrasinin klasik anlayışı modern demokrasinin pratikteki işleyişini yansıtmadığı ve gerçekçi olmadığı gerekçesiyle eleştirilmiştir. Pek çok teorisyen modern demokrasinin ampirizme dayanan gerçekçi bir teorisini geliştirme konusunda girişimlerde bulunmuştur. Genel olarak demokratik elitizm teorisyenleri olarak anılan bu yazarlar, demokrasi yönetimlerinde halkın veya çoğunluğun iradesinin değil, elitlerin başat unsur olduğunu savundular. Ampirik araştırmalara dayanarak; halkın siyasi meseleler söz konusu olduğunda ilgisiz, bilgisiz, irrasyonel, kısa vadeli düşünen, kendini çıkarlarını gözeten ve haklar, özgürlükler ve demokrasi konusunda elitlerden daha olumsuz bir görüşe sahip olduğunu ileri sürdüler. Ölçek meselesi ve bahsedilen araştırma çıkarımlarına dayanarak elitlerin demokrasilerde hayatî bir yeri ve rolü olduğunu iddia ettiler. Temsili demokrasinin ve dolayısıyla elitlerin modern toplumda demokrasiyi mümkün kıldığı sonucuna ulaştılar. Liberal demokrasilerin kurulması ve istikrarı için; elitlerin demokrasinin temel kuralları ve değerleri üzerinde gönüllü bir uzlaşıya sahip olmaları, tek bir bütünleşik elit yerine çoğul elitlerin bulunması, elitlerin göreve gelebilmek için seçimlerde seçmenin oyu için rekabet etmeleri, elitlerin etkin yönetim için seçmenleri karşısında belli bir otonomiye sahip olmaları ve elitlerin ahlâken ve yeterlilik bakımından nitelikli olmaları gerektiğini ileri sürmüşlerdir.

Keywords

Demokratik elitizm, rekabetçi demokrasi, elit uzlaşısı, halk, elitler

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