Introduction

This chapter begins with an overview of one of the main issues confronting American democracy at this time: a public that may be more alienated from the political process than it has ever been. Most observers agree that there is something seriously wrong with democracy in America; certainly the public seems to have lost faith in the political system. These critics suggest that politicians are excessively responsive to public opinion when making policy. Others claim that there is too little democracy. Politicians are insulated from real people and out of touch. According to the political scientist Anthony King democracy in the United States resembles the agency conception more than in any other country in the world with the exception of Switzerland. The chapter presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. It considers the state of the debate in elite circles on the merits of direct democratic institutions versus those of representative institutions.