ABSTRACT
Empirical social theories about how people behave often connect to normative theories about how democratic governments ought to operate–in particular, how public opinion should fit in how government works. Alongside wide-ranging arguments about how public opinion should influence what governments do, there are distinct debates about whether and how public opinion does influence policy. Policymakers may experience social and ethical pressures to comply with the public's wishes. Defining "democracy" might even be more controversial than defining "public opinion", which can make for some muddled conversations about "the role of public opinion in a democracy". Normative democratic theories often attempt to design institutions and procedures that promote democratic values by drawing on knowledge about the limits of democratic competence. Democratic competence makes considerable demands, although observers will disagree about how large those demands are and how capable people are of fulfilling them.
