The subject of democracy has always been of major concern to political science. Political scientists have conducted research on what democracy means, how democratic systems are organized, the content and effects of different kinds of democratic institutions, the social and economic preconditions of democracy, and so forth. In contemporary society the basic idea of democracy is triumphant throughout the world (even though democratic ideals are frequently violated in practice). It remains the case, though, that democracy means very different things to different people. This is as true for political philosophers as it is for political leaders and ordinary citizens. In this project the investigator will ascertain and compare the variety of meanings that political activists, political leaders, and ordinary people ascribe to the idea of democracy. This will be done through intensive examination of the beliefs of selected individuals, chosen on the basis of variety in their orientation toward politics. A research procedure called "Q methodology" will be used, in which individuals are asked to react to a large number of statements relating to democracy. The results of this investigation will be used to do two things. First, they will determine whether particular theories of democracy (e.g., liberal democracy, participatory democracy) find support or rejection in the way people feel. Second, they will be used to specify the variety of ways in which individuals actually do conceptualize democracy. It is quite possible that these conceptualizations will arise in ways not accounted for in existing models of democracy.
