萨托利民主理论辨析

萨托利的民主理论是在20世纪60至70年代西方民主政府面对空前高涨的民众政治参与要求所导致的“政治超载”,从而造成所谓“民主危机”的背景下提出的,主张在理想与现实、自由与平等之间保持平衡与张力,强调宪政与分权,推崇精英民主论。因此其实质是力主恢复主流的自由民主理论。民主是一个自身包含着一系列因素之间矛盾的概念,而且这种矛盾注定不能从根本上消除,只能在理想与现实之间的相互作用中存在和发展,过于理想或过于现实对民主而言都是灾难性的。

Differentiation and Analysis of Satorey's Democratic Theory

Satorey's democratic theory was put forward by the Western government as a response to the 'political overload" and " democratic crisis", which were resulted from an overwhelming public request of political involvement in the 1960s and 1970s. This theory holds that balance and tension be maintained between ideals and reality, and freedom and equality, constitutional government and decentralization be emphasized and elitism be highly praised, the essence of which is advocating to restore the mainstream free democratic theory. Democracy is a concept full of contradictions within itself, which cannot be eradicated completely and can only exist and develop in the interactions of ideals and reality. It is disastrous to democracy to be over-idealistic or over-realistic.