Reference no: EM133332459

Questions: At the heart of the elitist theory is a clear presumption of the average citizen's inadequacies. As a consequence, democratic systems must rely on the wisdom, loyalty and skill of their political leaders, not on the population at large. The political system is divided into two groups: the elite, or the "political entrepreneurs," who possess ideological commitments and manipulative skills, and the citizens at large, the masses, or the "apolitical clay," of the system, a much larger class of passive, inert followers who have little knowledge of public affairs and even less interest. The factor that distinguishes democratic and authoritarian systems, according to this view, is the provision for limited, peaceful competition among members of the elite for the formal positions of leadership within the system. As Joseph Schumpeter summarized the theory; "the democratic rr1ethod is that institutional arrangement for arriving at political decisions in which individuals acquire the power to decide by means of a competitive struggle for the people's vote." Source: Jack L. Walker, A Critique of the Elitist Theory of Democracy, The American Political Science Review, June 1966

1. Describe the presumption behind the primacy of elitist democratic theory.
2. In the context of the scenario, explain how the presumption discussed in (A) is affected by legal protections found in federal legislation or the U.S. Constitution.
3. Explain why current Congressional elections are often uncompetitive and discuss why, in the context of this scenario, this is a problem.