Pluralism in Democracy
There are four major theories of power within a democracy being Marxism, Elitism, Bureaucratic Elitism and Pluralism. Marxism is the theory that revolves around the economic system which equals control of the political system. The more money a class has, the more power they have. Elitism is the power that is split between three major groups; corporate leaders, key political leaders, and military officers. Bureaucratic Elitism is a group of unelected government officials that have the overall power over capitalists and workers. Pluralism is the theory of having dispersed power, with groups in a society competing to create a compromise. The theory of power in a democracy that fits the United States best is Pluralism.
Pluralism is the theory that describes the power in American democracy because the power is so scattered throughout the government. As seen in the article, Wilson’s Theories of Governance, it states that Pluralism has political resources that are “so widely scattered in our society and in the hands of such a variety of persons that no single elite has anything like a monopoly on them… [and] no single group, even if it had many political resources, could dominate most or even much, of the political process.” This process works in the United States because the power is spread out across many groups and government officials. We have three branches of government that split the power and run the democracy; the executive, judicial,and legislative branch. This gives the different groups power overall rather than just one person or group. Each branch have different powers, creating laws, passing them and making decisions on them. The president, Trump, may seen like he has more power than some but he has restrictions on power as well as other groups and officials. This shows the theory of pluralism in our society, allowing different groups and officials to contribute in forming and controlling the government. The power is shared between society and attempt to make compromises between all.
An example of pluralism in society today would be the event in Charlottesville.The Confederate Statues that were put up over 100 years ago are being questioned to be removed all over the country. This event is a time where the power of the people was used with the government, creating a compromise. The ethnic groups during this event had their different opinions, some saying to take down the statues because they represented white supremacy, while other believed to keep them up, showing historical significance.. The first statue was removed in New Orleans, Louisiana due to the uprising of protests of people and the mixed signals of the true meaning of the statues. Now there are more and more statues and memorials being questioned for removal. By removing the Confederate statues, it shows how the people had their own power just like the government to allow changes and make compromises with the citizens that had a say in the event and who were affected. There are many other events in society today where citizens come together to spread their opinions and make compromises for what they feel is right. This shows how compromises and power is shared between all, creating pleasure for all people.
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