ABSTRACT
This chapter examines a series of questions about the distribution of opportunities and advantages in a society. It considers whether certain social conditions are necessary for the maintenance of popular control of government. A serious effort to appraise the democratic character of any society must examine the conditions under which communication takes place in that society. The justification for freedom of worship in democratic societies does not rest solely on the point that people like to choose the religion that suits them. Genuine freedom in the choice of religion is pretty certain to result in the appearance of many different sects. The contemporary efforts of people in many parts of the world to establish self-government in a democratic style have excited considerable debate about the social prerequisites of democratic government. The author has placed emphasis on the relationship of equality in economic welfare to the maintenance of equality in political participation.
