Karl Popper’s Revisionist/Realist Theory of Democracy *

The democratic revisionists get their name from their project to revise the theory of democracy away from the idealistic, participatory aspirations evident in the ‘classical’ heritage, and towards a liberal, representative, procedural model. Karl Popper’s theory of democracy seeks to offer answers to a number of political and epistemological problems. In terms of political method, democracy relies upon general elections and representative government. Nonetheless, Popper considers these to be no more than ‘reasonably effective institutional safeguards against tyranny’, which are always open to improvement. The preceding characterization of democracy is, with few exceptions, a relatively conventional elaboration of liberal democratic principles. Popper goes beyond straightforward proceduralism to endorse state intervention in society and economy and indicates principles by which it can be defended. Popper’s theory can be categorized as ‘realist’ on both philosophical and political grounds.