Competitive Elitism – Max Weber

I.                   Our democratic heritage – classical in nature?

a.     20^th century and doubts about the nature of democracy

II.                Max Weber – German Sociologist (1864-1920)

a.     Rationalization

                                                             i.      Increasing technical control

                                                          ii.      Breakdown of collective traditions

b.    Bureaucratization

                                                             i.      Incorporates many institutions and parts of society

                                                          ii.      Integral to modern experience

c.     State as inherently modern

                                                             i.      Centralized administrative control

                                                          ii.      Rational-legal legitimacy

                                                       iii.      Impersonal forces of the modern state

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d.    Parliaments as counterweights

                                                             i.      Politics as procedure

                                                          ii.      Parties, citizens and ‘democracy’