Essay: According to Roberto Michels the institutions of modern, mass societies require hierarchical forms of organization. Does this mean that democracy is an impossible goal in modern worlds?

The German political theorist, Roberto Michels introduces the idea of an iron law of oligarchy, the industry of a hierarchy of precedent. This establishes the idea that democratic institutions ar of grad hierarchal in nature, with inflexible organisational processes. His theory states that democratic institutions, much(prenominal) as political parties, take away the right for the plentifulnesses membership to participate in the policy process. The natural finale of this demarcation is that nation is not an attainable goal, as completely integral elite leadership atomic number 18 granted the power to eclipse over members. However, it is the definitions of democracy, leadership and accountability in leadership, which are arctic to this theory. It is with changed notions of these crucial ideas, that democracy is certainly a realistic and however realised goal in contemporary society. According to his book, semipolitical Parties, Michels asserts that the strate gic and policy decisions required of political leaders in democracies are too complex to directly involve turning groups of people. As a result, decisions are made by a sm entirely group of people (the oligarchy) and broadly consented to by the companionships destiny members. Michels states: Organization implies the tendency to oligarchy, meaning that no movement could start out to without organising itself. Organization meant bureaucracy, and bureaucracy would always prevent democracy. Thus a truly democratic society is unachievable and the concept of democracy is an oxymoron.

Michels comes to this conclusion as he examined the German Socialist party and oth! er democratic institutions - as organizations and not from ideological perspectives. He believed all institutions served the interests of their oligarchies. However, Michels is not the only scholar who believed institutions are hierarchical, Ostrogorsky , Weber and Duverger , are theorists who agreed that the organizational structures of democracies are essential, as working classes mound only achieve privileges by combining into organizations. Michels... If you want to pull in a full essay, order it on our website: OrderCustomPaper.com

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