The first thing to note is that “the people” has never included all the people in a particular society – children for example are generally excluded. The question is how to define the limit of who has the right of participation in the ruling, and who is to be excluded.
democratic theory
Democratic Theory (1): What makes a democracy ‘democratic’?
Given the many varieties and claims to democracy today and throughout history, it is important to have a clearly defined understanding of what the core differentiating characteristic of democracy is, if the word is to have any meaning - i.e. what defines it distinctively from other potential forms of government. Our objective here is to … Continue reading Democratic Theory (1): What makes a democracy ‘democratic’?