Read the passage and answer the questions. From this perspective of democracy, representation can help or hurt democracy, even if representation cannot be democratic since it cannot replicate the demos. But the phenomenon of representation reflects an emotional roller - coaster - great hopes during an election campaign, great disappointment from the work of governments in office. This problem stems in part from the fact that representative government and, the demos potentially operate at cross - purposes. The office of a representative results from elections, which elevate a set of... Show more Read the passage and answer the questions. From this perspective of democracy, representation can help or hurt democracy, even if representation cannot be democratic since it cannot replicate the demos. But the phenomenon of representation reflects an emotional roller - coaster - great hopes during an election campaign, great disappointment from the work of governments in office. This problem stems in part from the fact that representative government and, the demos potentially operate at cross - purposes. The office of a representative results from elections, which elevate a set of political rulers above the ruled in order to make the laws. In office, they make com p ro m ises to g et legislativ e b u sin ess d o ne. Representatives may feel proud of what they accomplished, because they made the decisions that led to the compromise. But citizens can't take pride in legislative work, and they mostly suffer the consequences required by the compromise. That doesn't mean representatives always will be scorned, as mentioned above, their office-enables them to undertake political initiatives not viable during an election campaign or to protect minorities whose needs may have been neglected. That said, the necessary activity of legislative compromise takes place above the heads and behind the backs of the people. As such, it contradicts the 'Athenian and Aristotelian understanding of democracies as political orders that depend on the deliberative and decisive power of citizens (i.e., the demos) acting with authoritative power. Citizens of the Athenian democracy were said to rule and be ruled in turn, but in every case their power required the political presence and deliberative action of citizens. Show less
Read the passage and answer the questions.
From this perspective of democracy, representation can help or hurt democracy, even if representation cannot be democratic since it cannot replicate the demos. But the phenomenon of representation reflects an emotional roller - coaster - great hopes during an election campaign, great disappointment from the work of governments in office. This problem stems in part from the fact that representative government and, the demos potentially operate at cross - purposes. The office of a representative results from elections, which elevate a set of political rulers above the ruled in order to make the laws. In office, they make com p ro m ises to g et legislativ e b u sin ess d o ne. Representatives may feel proud of what they accomplished, because they made the decisions that led to the compromise. But citizens can't take pride in legislative work, and they mostly suffer the consequences required by the compromise. That doesn't mean representatives always will be scorned, as mentioned above, their office-enables them to undertake political initiatives not viable during an election campaign or to protect minorities whose needs may have been neglected. That said, the necessary activity of legislative compromise takes place above the heads and behind the backs of the people. As such, it contradicts the 'Athenian and Aristotelian understanding of democracies as political orders that depend on the deliberative and decisive power of citizens (i.e., the demos) acting with authoritative power. Citizens of the Athenian democracy were said to rule and be ruled in turn, but in every case their power required the political presence and deliberative action of citizens.
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