ABSTRACT
In our conclusion, we return to the task we set out for ourselves in the introduction: the development of a realist, institutional democratic theory—a political theory in Jeremy Waldron’s sense. In an important new book, Democracy for Realists, Larry Bartels and Christopher Achen have challenged democratic theorists to construct a more plausible, realistic account of democracy’s value in light of empirical evidence of its failings. We respond to their challenge on two dimensions, contrasting it to another potential response from democratic theory—“shadow of unfairness” theory,—exemplified by recent work by Jeffrey Green. We conclude that both the approach explored in this volume and “shadow of unfairness” theorists have developed important resources for effectively responding to Bartels and Achen and taken up the challenge of developing a realist, institutional account of the value of democracy.
