DEMOCRACY AND RALPH PRETTY GOOD GROCERY - ELECTIONS, EQUALITY, AND THE MINIMAL HUMAN-BEING

This article makes three arguments in an effort to help explain the remarkable growth of democracy over the last two centuries. It argues, first, that democracy is really quite a simple idea, that it can come into existence quite naturally, and that even elections are not necessary for it to take effect Second, it holds that democracy has been able to become established and accepted because, despite the assertions of many of its advocates, in practice it has little to do with political equality - indeed, effectively it relies on, and celebrates, political inequality. And, third, it suggests that one of democracy's great strengths is that it does not demand much of people and that it can function quite well with the minimal human being. The article concludes by briefly contrasting democracy with its competitors.