Elections and Elite Rule

Abstract

Abstract Chapter 7 considers the role of elections within a wider democratic system and compares them to elite forms of rule. It argues that while the limits of voter knowledge stop elections from effectively motivating representatives towards the best policies, elections can still contribute to democracy’s intelligence as effective guards against the worst uses and abuses of power. The chapter then compares democratic elections to two elite alternatives: political meritocracy and a restricted franchise epistocracy. It argues that by removing inclusive elections, both these regimes leave themselves vulnerable to abuses of power, and that these abuses are likely to include manipulations of the procedures they use to select meritocratic leaders and competent voters. Such a vulnerability therefore undermines the claimed epistemic advantages which come from empowering the more knowledgeable. Although democratic elections are highly imperfect, they still produce a more intelligent system than those based on elite rule.