Can Democracy Be Overdone?

Abstract

This chapter lays out the central thesis of the book and clarifies it be means of contrasting it with nearby or distinct opposing theses. The central thesis is that it is possible to overdo democracy, and overdoing democracy is detrimental to democracy. By emphasizing politics as part of democracy, people “crowd out” or have less time for pursuing other goods whose achievement is part of the point of pursuing the good that is overdone. The chapter demonstrates that this thesis is fully consistent with a robust, participatory conception of democratic politics. To avoid overdoing democracy, the book suggests that people find other things to do together, things in which politics has no place. Putting politics in its place does not mean that people must stand back from democratic politics to give elites enough room to govern, which is the minimalist or elitist thesis.