Pluralist: Ideal Democracy?

When the framers wrote the Constitution, they envisioned a Government of participation, and rights, known as Democracy. The three types of a democracy being, Participatory, Pluralist, and Elite. In the Constitution, there are elements of all three, but the main type they strived for was a Pluralist, meaning many differing factions with many differing ideals.

In a Pluralist Democracy, there are multiple contrasting parties, that argue with each other. The pros to this, are that the good ideas the parties have, are made known sense they are conversed among the factions; Sense there are many factions, no one group can take the majority, and dominate over the others. The downside to this Democracy, is that the decision making process can take time, or not happen at all, sense there are so many different opinions. “Extend the sphere, and you take in a greater variety of parties and interests; you make it less probable that a majority of the whole will have a common motive to invade the rights of other citizens; or if such a common motive exists, it will be more difficult for all who feel it to discover their own strength, and to act in unison with each other” (James Madison, Federalist #10). In this quote, James Madison is saying how the expansion of more diverse factions can make it less likely that a majority will all have a common interest to invade each other’s rights, and if there is a common interest, it will be more difficult for them to act together. Factions are a good example of a Pluralist Democracy.

Another piece of evidence comes from Brutus #1, “In a republic...interests of the people should be similar. If this be not the case, there will be a constant clashing of opinions”. Brutus is saying that everyone should agree, and to avoid conflict altogether, which will eliminate factions. But factions help make compromises, and make the majority group happy.

Both these pieces of evidence show that a Pluralist Democracy is the ideal Democracy that the framers intended. From both Federalist, and Anti-Federalist points of view, even though Brutus (Anti-Federalist) did not agree with Madison, this system has been around for over 300 years proving it is successful, and the founders achieved most of what they intended.