Die Konzeptualisierung der Qualität von Demokratie. Eine kritische Diskussion aktueller Ansätze

Abstract

Authors discuss Morlino, Diamond as reasonable measures of QoD. They have a thorough discussion of Dahl's concept of democracy and a very systematic critique on why measures of QoD might be impossible in principle. p. 20: they correctly cite Dahl who says that equal opportunities to participate depend on resources such as education and income. Roller nad Fuchs then go on and say that, if true, high QoD would be one in which those resources are equally distributed that influence the capacity for political participation. This, they state, is impossible, for such resources are mainly provided by the economic system. My COUNTERARGUMENT are: - economic systems differ in their inequality patters and if one is more adequate for high QoD, then so it may be - the link between resources and political equality is not deterministic. Most importantly, equal political participation can be enhanced through adequate policies and institutional design.