Robert Dahl facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Dahl
|
|
|---|---|
Dahl teaching a political science class at Yale University
|
|
| Born |
Robert Alan Dahl
December 17, 1915 Inwood, Iowa, U.S.
|
| Died | February 5, 2014 (aged 98) Hamden, Connecticut, U.S.
|
| Education |
|
| Spouse(s) |
|
| Children | 5 |
| Awards | Johan Skytte Prize (1995) |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | Yale University |
| Thesis | Socialist Programs and Democratic Politics: An Analysis |
| Academic advisors |
|
| Notable students |
|
| Influences |
|
| Influenced |
|
Robert Alan Dahl (born December 17, 1915 – died February 5, 2014) was an American expert on political theory. He was a very important professor of political science at Yale University.
He helped create the idea of pluralist theory in democracy. This idea says that political decisions happen when different groups with different interests compete, even if they are not equal. He also used the word "polyarchy" to describe how real democracies work.
Dahl was known for studying how decisions are made in real places, like cities in America. He is seen as the most important scholar who used the pluralist approach to understand power in both cities and countries. He also thought a lot about what makes an ideal democracy, one that could actually exist. Because of his clear ideas about democracy, he is considered one of the greatest thinkers on the topic in history.
Contents
Robert Dahl's Life Story
Robert Dahl was born in Inwood, Iowa, on December 17, 1915. His father, Peter, came from a Norwegian family. His mother, Vera, had a Protestant American background.
He earned his first degree from the University of Washington in 1936. Then, he got his Ph.D. from Yale in 1940.
After finishing his studies, Dahl worked for the government in Washington D.C. He then joined the U.S. Army as a volunteer. He served in Europe during World War II. He was a leader of a small group that gathered information in an infantry regiment. He received a Bronze Star Medal for his bravery. His group took part in a big attack in November 1944.
After the war, Dahl went back to Yale in 1946. He was offered a temporary job teaching American government. This job became permanent, and Dahl stayed at Yale for his whole career. He retired in 1986. He was a special professor of political science from 1955 to 1986. Dahl also led the political science department from 1957 to 1962.
Dahl was the president of the American Political Science Association in 1966 and 1967.
Dahl was married to Mary Bartlett until she passed away in 1970. Later, he married Ann Sale.
Awards and Honors for Robert Dahl
Throughout his career, Robert Dahl received many important awards.
- 1950 He was a Guggenheim fellow. This is a special award for people doing important research.
- 1955–1956 He was a fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences.
- 1960 He became a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
- 1962 His book Who Governs? won the Woodrow Wilson Foundation Book Award.
- 1967 He was again a fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in Behavioral Sciences.
- 1972 He became a member of the National Academy of Sciences.
- 1978 He was a Guggenheim fellow again.
- 1990 Dahl's book Democracy and Its Critics (1989) won the Woodrow Wilson Foundation Book Award.
- 1995 Dahl was the very first person to receive the Johan Skytte Prize in Political Science. This is a very important award in political science.
- 2016 The Robert A. Dahl Award was created in his honor by the American Political Science Association.
- He was also a member of the American Philosophical Society.
- He was a corresponding fellow of the British Academy.
Robert Dahl's Academic Work
Early Ideas and Pluralism
In his Ph.D. paper in 1940, Dahl said that both "corporate capitalism" and state socialism were not democratic. He argued for economic democracy and a type of democratic socialism. He wrote about this idea again in his 1985 book, A Preface to Economic Democracy.
Dahl wrote several important early books. These include A Preface to Democratic Theory (1956), Who Governs? (1961), and Pluralist Democracy in the United States (1967). In these books, he explained his idea of pluralism for how politics works in the United States.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, he had a debate with another scholar, C. Wright Mills. Mills believed that America's government was controlled by a small group of powerful people. Dahl disagreed. He said that many different powerful groups are involved. These groups have to work together and sometimes disagree. Dahl said that even if this isn't democracy in a popular sense, it is at least polyarchy (or pluralism). In his most famous book, Who Governs? (1961), he studied the power structures in the city of New Haven, Connecticut. He found that his ideas about many groups sharing power were correct.
Understanding Power and Influence
One of Dahl's important ideas was about different kinds of power. He defined power as "A getting B to do what A wants." Dahl preferred to use "influence terms," which he put on a scale from best to worst:
- Rational persuasion: This is the best way to influence someone. It means telling the truth and explaining why someone should do something. For example, a doctor convincing a patient to stop smoking.
- Manipulative persuasion: This is a bit worse. It means lying or misleading someone to get them to do something.
- Inducement: This is even lower. It means offering rewards or punishments to get someone to do something, like a bribe.
- Power: This involves threatening serious punishment, like jail or losing a job.
- Coercion: This is power where someone has no way out.
- Physical force: This is using or threatening to use bodily harm to back up coercion.
So, governments that use influence higher on this scale are better. The worst governments use the unpleasant forms of influence at the lower end.
Ideas on Democracy and Polyarchies
Dahl wrote many books about democracy. His most important ones are Polyarchy: Participation and Opposition (1971) and Democracy and Its Critics (1989).
In Polyarchy, Dahl used the term "polyarchy" to talk about real-world democracies. He also discussed what might cause a country to become a polyarchy.
What Makes a Process Democratic?
In his book, Democracy and Its Critics, Dahl explained his ideas about democracy. He said that no modern country perfectly matches the ideal of democracy, which is like a perfect dream. But he said five things could help us see how democratic a process is:
- Effective participation: Everyone should have equal chances to share their ideas with others.
- Voting equality: Everyone should have an equal chance to vote, and all votes should count the same.
- Enlightened understanding: Everyone must have equal chances to learn about what might happen if a plan is chosen.
- Control of the agenda: Everyone should have the chance to decide if or how topics will be discussed.
- Inclusion of adults: Most adult residents should have all the rights listed above.
Seven Features of Polyarchy
Dahl believed that some countries came close to these ideals. He called these countries "polyarchies." He said that a government needed "seven institutions" to be called a polyarchy:
- Elected officials: People chosen by voters make decisions about government rules.
- Free and fair elections: Officials are chosen in elections that happen often and are fair, with little force used.
- Inclusive suffrage: Almost all adults have the right to vote for officials.
- Right to run for office: Almost all adults have the right to try to get elected to government jobs.
- Freedom of expression: People can speak their minds without fear of serious punishment. This includes criticizing leaders or the government.
- Alternative information: People can find different sources of information. Also, different news sources exist and are protected by laws.
- Associational autonomy: People have the right to form independent groups or organizations. This includes political parties and interest groups.
Good Conditions for Democratic Systems
In his book On Democracy, Dahl talked about five conditions that help democratic systems grow. He said three are very important, and two others are helpful.
Essential Conditions for Democracy
- The military and police are controlled by elected officials.
- People believe in democracy and have a democratic culture.
- No strong foreign country controls the nation in a way that harms democracy.
Helpful Conditions for Democracy
- A modern market economy and society.
- Weak differences between cultural groups.
Why Democracy is Important
In On Democracy, Dahl also asked, "Why should we support democracy?" He argued that "democracy has at least ten advantages" compared to governments that are not democracies:
- It helps avoid harsh rule (tyranny).
- It protects basic rights.
- It gives general freedom.
- It allows people to decide for themselves.
- It helps people think for themselves.
- It helps people grow and develop.
- It protects important personal interests.
- It creates political equality.
- It helps seek peace.
- It helps create wealth.
Later Writings
In his later books, Dahl looked at democracy, especially in the United States, with a critical eye.
In How Democratic Is the American Constitution? (2001), Dahl argued that the US Constitution is not as democratic as it should be. He said its writers didn't know what the future would be like. However, he also said that it's hard to change this without a major problem with the Constitution, which he didn't want to happen.
In On Political Equality (2006), Dahl discussed the idea of equality. He talked about why governments have not always met their democratic goals. He also looked at the political situation in the United States at that time.
Major Works by Robert Dahl
Some of Robert Dahl's most well-known books and papers include:
- Dahl, Robert A. 1950. Congress and Foreign Policy.
- Dahl, Robert A. (1957). "The Concept of Power."
- Dahl, Robert A. (1957). "Decision-Making in a Democracy: The Supreme Court as a National Policy-Maker."
See also
In Spanish: Robert Alan Dahl para niños
- Democracy
- Pluralism (political theory)
