Abstract
Most theoretical accounts of descriptive representation focus almost exclusively on the question, Why do certain groups need to be brought into democratic institutions? They emphasize the democratic gains obtained through adding more voices to the political arena. However, in order to improve the representation of historically disadvantaged groups, democratic theorists need to consider when it is justifiable, desirable, and even morally necessary to limit, or even deny, access and influence to overrepresented, privileged groups. Democratic citizens need an ethics of marginalizationthat is, ethical standards for evaluating how democracies can and should use informal norms to limit the power and influence of certain citizens within the framework of an equal regime of formal rights. The author proposes one standard, the oppression principle, for evaluating how democratic citizens marginalize: democracies should marginalize those who oppress and those whose privileged status sustains oppression.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1172-1186 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| Journal | Journal of Politics |
| Volume | 71 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jul 2009 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Sociology and Political Science
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In praise of exclusion. / Dovi, Suzanne L.
In: Journal of Politics, Vol. 71, No. 3, 07.2009, p. 1172-1186.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - In praise of exclusion
AU - Dovi, Suzanne L
PY - 2009/7
Y1 - 2009/7
N2 - Most theoretical accounts of descriptive representation focus almost exclusively on the question, Why do certain groups need to be brought into democratic institutions? They emphasize the democratic gains obtained through adding more voices to the political arena. However, in order to improve the representation of historically disadvantaged groups, democratic theorists need to consider when it is justifiable, desirable, and even morally necessary to limit, or even deny, access and influence to overrepresented, privileged groups. Democratic citizens need an ethics of marginalizationthat is, ethical standards for evaluating how democracies can and should use informal norms to limit the power and influence of certain citizens within the framework of an equal regime of formal rights. The author proposes one standard, the oppression principle, for evaluating how democratic citizens marginalize: democracies should marginalize those who oppress and those whose privileged status sustains oppression.
AB - Most theoretical accounts of descriptive representation focus almost exclusively on the question, Why do certain groups need to be brought into democratic institutions? They emphasize the democratic gains obtained through adding more voices to the political arena. However, in order to improve the representation of historically disadvantaged groups, democratic theorists need to consider when it is justifiable, desirable, and even morally necessary to limit, or even deny, access and influence to overrepresented, privileged groups. Democratic citizens need an ethics of marginalizationthat is, ethical standards for evaluating how democracies can and should use informal norms to limit the power and influence of certain citizens within the framework of an equal regime of formal rights. The author proposes one standard, the oppression principle, for evaluating how democratic citizens marginalize: democracies should marginalize those who oppress and those whose privileged status sustains oppression.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=70450208399&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=70450208399&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/S0022381609090951
DO - 10.1017/S0022381609090951
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:70450208399
VL - 71
SP - 1172
EP - 1186
JO - Journal of Politics
JF - Journal of Politics
SN - 0022-3816
IS - 3
ER -