The Paradox of Plebiscitary Democracy in Presidential Nomination Campaigns

Incommunicative Action: An Esoteric Warning About Deliberative Democracy

“…We can control the world around us in ways our ancestors could not imagine, but the system that allows us to do so leaves most people controlled by a powerful minority. Deliberative democrats reveal their left-wing assumptions when they claim, on the one hand, that capitalism produces wonders of production at the expense of the workers and, on the other hand, that liberal democracies empower an elite that gives voters a mere choice between pre-approved positions (e.g., Dryzek 1990;Haskell 1992). They maintain that the people neither choose their ruling class, nor do they have any real say in the formation of the choices put before them.…”

Presidential Nomination Campaigns: Toward 2004

“…These interactions are conditioned by the rules and procedures governing nomination campaigns. The rules have both normative and strategic implications (Geer 1986;Gurian 1990;Haskell 1992;Crespin 2001). Institutional factors influence the strategic calculations candidates make in allocating resources.…”