ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT:Empiricalresearchonpublicopinionhastendedtomisjudgethe normativerationalesformoderndemocracy.Althoughitisoftenpresumed thatcitizens'policypriferencesaretheopinionsofinteresttodemocratictheorists,andthatdemocracyrequiresahighlyinformedcitizenry,neitherof thesepremisesrepresentsadominantpositioninmainstreamdemocratictheory.Besidesincorrectassumptionsaboutmajortenetsofdemocratictheory, empiricalresearchoncivicengagementisrunningintodeadendsthatwill requirenormativeanalysistoovercome.Bringingpoliticalphilosophybackin tothestudyofpublicopinioncannotonlyremedyshortcomingsintheempiricalliterature,butcanalsounderscorehowrelevantthatliteratureisfora widerangeofproblemsindemocraticpractice.
