Democracy’s Expanding Reach

Abstract

This chapter argues that the problem of overdoing democracy is inherent within the democratic ideal; we tend to overdo democracy in our pursuit of responsible democratic practice. Thus the problem is not due to an infiltration of some antidemocratic norm or tendency into democratic society. Rather, the democratic ideal of self-government among equals lends itself to progressively expanding conceptions of the social reach of democratic politics. This chapter defines the site, scope, and reach of politics, and discusses majoritarian, minimalist, particpationalist, and deliberativist views of democracy. The latter view is what we are trying to do, and, more importantly for present purposes, it is most often what we see ourselves as doing when we engage politically.