Principles of Political Equality and the Logic of Power

At its core, democracy carries a promise of political equality that rests on rules, norms, and procedures that govern the polity to afford equal consideration and freedom from domination to every member. However, despite being widely cherished, political equality is rarely defined precisely. This article offers a framework for studying political equality that can be used to organize thinking. We begin with an idealized notion of direct democracy, then move to its application in representative democracies. We use the framework to argue that political equality requires three conditions: inclusiveness, anonymity, and representativeness. The framework is also useful in characterizing problems of structural power inequalities that can impede political equality.

Duke Scholars

Author Pablo Beramendi Political Science