ABSTRACT
Contemporary interpretations of democratic citizenship in the USA are often based on the classic pluralist model of governance: individual citizens articulate interests, groups coalesce and lobby on behalf of those interests, a fair debate ensues, and the democratic system generates outcomes reflecting a general will. Ideal as this sounds as a model of governance, whether and how pluralist democracy can work in an increasingly diverse and multi-racial society remains to be seen. Numerous studies have documented systematic gaps in both the chain of events as well as the equality of resulting policies, whether advantaging citizens and groups with more economic resources, or silencing citizens within disadvantaged and marginalized communities (e.g., Bowler and Segura 2012; Bartels 2009; Gilens 2012; Verba, Schlozman, and Brady 1995; Schattschneider 1960). In this article, we ask: Do silent citizens opt out, or are they left out?
