Competitive Pressure and Democratic Consent: An Interpretation of the 1952 Presidential Election

Abstract

When does the political competition of an election produce a “process of consent” which contributes to effective representative government? When does it constitute a “process of manipulation”? In this article, the authors outline the five requirements of an election based on the process of consent and analyzes the 1952 election in terms of these requirements.

Morris Janowitz is Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Michigan, and Dwaine Marvick is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of California in Los Angeles.