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{{more footnotes|date=March 2011}}
{{Infobox Website
{{Infobox person
| name = Guardian Australia
|birthname = Ian McAllister
| logo = [[File:The Guardian.svg|250px]]
| screenshot =
| image =
| imagesize =
| url = {{URL|http://www.theguardian.com/au}}
| commercial = Yes
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1950|12|2|mf=y}}
| type = Online [[Newspaper]]
| birth_place = {{United Kingdom}} [[Belfast]], [[Northern Ireland]]
| language = [[English language|English]]
| death_date =
| registration = Mostly No
| death_place =
| owner = [[Guardian Media Group]]
| occupation = Political Scientist, Professor
| author = ''[[The Guardian]]''
| networth =
| launch date = {{Start date|2013}}
| citizenship = Australian, United Kingdom, Ireland
| current status = Active
| education = [[University of Strathclyde]], [[Thames Polytechnic]]
| revenue = Unknown
| spouse = Dr Toni Makkai
| Cost = Free
| website = http://politicsir.cass.anu.edu.au/people/academic-staff/ian-mcallister
| footnotes =
| children = none
}}
}}
Ian McAllister''' (born 2 December 1950, [[Belfast, UK]]) is the Distinguished Professor of [[political science]] at the [[Australian National University]]. He earned his Ph.D. in political science in 1976 from [[University of Strathclyde]].


==Writings==
'''Guardian Australia''' is the Sydney-based American online presence of the British print newspaper ''[[The Guardian]]''. It launched in 2013, led by editor-in-chief [[Katherine Viner]]. The Australian site followed the earlier '''[[Guardian America]]''' service which started in 2011.


In the late 1950s and early 1960s, he was involved in an academic disagreement with [[C. Wright Mills]] over the nature of [[politics in the United States]]. Mills held that America's governments are in the grasp of a unitary and demographically narrow power elite. Dahl responded that there are many different elites involved, who have to work both in contention and in compromise with one another. If this is not [[democracy]] in a [[populism|populist]] sense, Dahl contended, it is at least [[polyarchy]] (or [[pluralism (political theory)|pluralism]]). In perhaps his best known work, ''[[Who Governs?]]'' (1961), he examines the power structures (both formal and informal) in the city of [[New Haven, Connecticut]], as a case study, and finds that it supports this view.{{citation needed|date=September 2011}}
== Guardian Australia ==


From the late 1960s onwards, his conclusions were challenged by scholars such as [[G. William Domhoff]] and [[Charles E. Lindblom]] (a friend and colleague of Dahl). {{citation needed|date=September 2011}}
Guardian Australia was created on the 26th May 2013 in a significant amount of hype in the lead up to the [[2013 Australian Federal Election]].


In ''[[How Democratic Is the American Constitution?]]'' (2001) he argued that the constitution is much less democratic than it ought to be given that its authors were operating from a position of "profound ignorance" about the future. However, he adds that there is little or nothing that can be done about this "short of some constitutional breakdown, which I neither foresee nor, certainly, wish for." {{citation needed|date=September 2011}}
[[News Ltd]], Fairfax and other local journalists joined the British team. Notable journalists from [[Fairfax Media]] include Lenore Taylor, Katherine Murphy David Marr, and Nick Evershed. Notable journalists from News Ltd include Bridie Jabour. However the site contains a number of blogs such as an Australian polling trends blog by [[Stanford University]] political scientist Professor Simon Jackman.


==Influence terms==
The Guardian Australia has a [[Comment is Free]] section edited by Jessica Reed which has opinion pieces from regular writers, politicians, celebrities and members of the public.
One of Robert Dahl’s many contributions is his explication of the varieties of power, which he defines as “A” getting “B” to do what “A” wants. Dahl prefers the more neutral “influence terms,” (Michael G. Roskin) which he arrayed on a scale from best to worst:
# ''Rational Persuasion,'' the nicest form of influence, means telling the truth and explaining why someone should do something, like your doctor convincing you to stop smoking. {{citation needed|date=September 2011}}
# ''Manipulative persuasion,'' a notch lower, means lying or misleading to get someone to do something. {{citation needed|date=September 2011}}
# ''Inducement'' still lower, means offering rewards or punishments to get someone to do something, i.e. like bribery.{{citation needed|date=September 2011}}
# ''Power'' threatens severe punishment, such as jail or loss of job.{{citation needed|date=September 2011}}
# ''Coercion'' is power with no way out; you have to do it.{{citation needed|date=September 2011}}
# ''Physical force'' – is backing up coercion with use or threat of bodily harm.{{citation needed|date=September 2011}}


Thus, we can tell which governments are best; the ones that use influence at the higher end of the scale. The worst use the unpleasant forms of influence at the lower end. {{citation needed|date=September 2011}}
==Political stance==


==Democracy and polyarchies==
Guardian News and Media's publications/websites (including Guardian US) have a left of centre political stance - ranging from centre-left to a more radical left-wing socialist in some comment parts of the site.
::''See also main article on [[polyarchy]]''
In his book, ''[[Democracy and Its Critics]]'' (1989), Dahl clarifies his view about democracy. No modern country meets the ideal of democracy, which is as a theoretical utopia. To reach the ideal requires meeting five criteria:<ref>R.A. Dahl, Democracy and Its Critics, Yale University Press, p.221</ref>
# '''Effective participation'''<br />Citizens must have adequate and equal opportunities to form their preference and place questions on the public agenda and express reasons for one outcome over the other.
# '''Voting equality at the decisive stage'''<br />Each citizen must be assured his or her judgments will be counted as equal in weights to the judgments of others.
# '''Enlightened understanding'''<br />Citizens must enjoy ample and equal opportunities for discovering and affirming what choice would best serve their interests.
# '''Control of the agenda'''<br />Demos or people must have the opportunity to decide what political matters actually are and what should be brought up for deliberation.
# '''Inclusiveness'''<br />Equality must extend to all citizens within [[State (polity)|the state]]. Everyone has legitimate stake within the political process.


Instead, he calls politically advanced countries "polyarchies". Polyarchies have elected officials, free and fair elections, inclusive suffrage, rights to run for office, freedom of expression, alternative information and associational autonomy. Those institutions are a major advance in that they create multiple centers of political power.<ref>R.A. Dahl, Democracy and Its Critics, Yale University Press, p.222</ref>
==Ownership==
Guardian Australia is controlled by [[Guardian News and Media]] (GNM). GNM is controlled by Guardian Media Group (GMG), which is controlled by the [[Scott Trust]], a charitable organisation which aims to ensure the editorial independence of the publications and Web Sites of GMG.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gmgplc.co.uk/ |title=Guardian Media Group |publisher=Gmgplc.co.uk |date=2013-03-31 |accessdate=2013-08-21}}</ref>


==References==
== Prizes ==
Dahl was awarded the [[Johan Skytte Prize in Political Science]] in 1995. {{citation needed|date=September 2011}}

==Criticism==
* Sociologist [[G. William Domhoff]] strongly disagrees with Dahl's view of power in [[New Haven]], CT in the 1960s: [http://sociology.ucsc.edu/whorulesamerica/power/new_haven.html "Who Really Ruled in Dahl's New Haven?"] {{citation needed|date=September 2011}}
* Political philosopher [[Charles Blattberg]] has criticized Dahl's attempt to define democracy with a set of necessary and sufficient conditions. {{citation needed|date=September 2011}}

==Bibliography==
The most well-known of Dahl's works include:
*1953 - ''Politics, Economics, and Welfare'' (with Charles E. Lindblom)
*1956 - ''A Preface to Democratic Theory'' (new edition in 2006)
*1957 - ''[http://www.unc.edu/~fbaum/teaching/articles/Dahl_Power_1957.pdf The Concept of Power]''
*1957 - ''Decision-Making in a Democracy: The Supreme Court as a National Policy-Maker''
*1960 - ''Social science research on business: product and potential''
*1961 - ''[[Who Governs?|Who Governs?: Democracy and Power in an American City]]''
*1963 - ''Modern Political Analysis''
*1966 - ''Political oppositions in Western Democracies''
*1968 - ''Pluralist democracy in the United States : conflict and consent''
*1970 - ''After the Revolution? : Authority in a good society''
*1971 - ''Polyarchy: Participation and Opposition''
*1973 - ''Size and Democracy'' (with Edward R. Tufte)
*1983 - ''Dilemmas of Pluralist Democracy: Autonomy vs. Control''
*1985 - ''A Preface to Economic Democracy''
*1985 - ''Controlling Nuclear Weapons: Democracy versus Guardianship''
*1989 - ''[[Democracy and Its Critics]]''
*1997 - ''Toward Democracy - a Journey: Reflections, 1940-1997''
*1998 - ''On Democracy''
*2002 - ''[[How Democratic Is the American Constitution?]]''
*2003 - ''The Democracy Sourcebook.'' (An anthology edited by Robert A. Dahl, Ian Shapiro and José Antonio Cheibub)
*2005 - ''After The Gold Rush''
*2006 - ''On Political Equality''

==References & External links==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
* Roskin, Cord, Medeiros, Jones. (2008). ''Political Science: An Introduction'',(10th Edition). New Jersey. ISBN 0-13-242576
* Jeong Chun Hai @Ibrahim, & Nor Fadzlina Nawi. (2007). ''Principles of Public Administration: An Introduction.'' Kuala Lumpur: Karisma Publications. ISBN 978-983-195-253-5
* [http://politicalscience.yale.edu/people/robert-dahl Robert A. Dahl] in the Yale University website.
* [http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/149747/Robert-A-Dahl Robert A. Dahl] in the Encyclopedia Britannica.
* [http://www.annualreviews.org/page/audio#dahl Annual Reviews Conversations Interview with Robert A. Dahl] (video)


{{Authority control|VIAF=41860289}}
[[Category:Publications established in 2013]]

[[Category:The Guardian]]
{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
[[Category:Australian media|*]]
| NAME = Dahl, Robert A.
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION =
| DATE OF BIRTH = 17 December 1915
| PLACE OF BIRTH = [[Inwood]], [[Iowa]]
| DATE OF DEATH =
| PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dahl, Robert A.}}
[[Category:1915 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American political scientists]]
[[Category:American political theorists]]
[[Category:Yale University alumni]]
[[Category:Yale University faculty]]
[[Category:Public administration scholars]]
[[Category:Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences]]
[[Category:Guggenheim Fellows]]

Revision as of 16:00, 11 December 2013

Liberalcynic/sandbox
Born
Ian McAllister

(1950-12-02) December 2, 1950 (age 74)
Template:United Kingdom Belfast, Northern Ireland
CitizenshipAustralian, United Kingdom, Ireland
EducationUniversity of Strathclyde, Thames Polytechnic
Occupation(s)Political Scientist, Professor
SpouseDr Toni Makkai
Childrennone
Websitehttp://politicsir.cass.anu.edu.au/people/academic-staff/ian-mcallister

Ian McAllister (born 2 December 1950, Belfast, UK) is the Distinguished Professor of political science at the Australian National University. He earned his Ph.D. in political science in 1976 from University of Strathclyde.

Writings

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, he was involved in an academic disagreement with C. Wright Mills over the nature of politics in the United States. Mills held that America's governments are in the grasp of a unitary and demographically narrow power elite. Dahl responded that there are many different elites involved, who have to work both in contention and in compromise with one another. If this is not democracy in a populist sense, Dahl contended, it is at least polyarchy (or pluralism). In perhaps his best known work, Who Governs? (1961), he examines the power structures (both formal and informal) in the city of New Haven, Connecticut, as a case study, and finds that it supports this view.[citation needed]

From the late 1960s onwards, his conclusions were challenged by scholars such as G. William Domhoff and Charles E. Lindblom (a friend and colleague of Dahl). [citation needed]

In How Democratic Is the American Constitution? (2001) he argued that the constitution is much less democratic than it ought to be given that its authors were operating from a position of "profound ignorance" about the future. However, he adds that there is little or nothing that can be done about this "short of some constitutional breakdown, which I neither foresee nor, certainly, wish for." [citation needed]

Influence terms

One of Robert Dahl’s many contributions is his explication of the varieties of power, which he defines as “A” getting “B” to do what “A” wants. Dahl prefers the more neutral “influence terms,” (Michael G. Roskin) which he arrayed on a scale from best to worst:

  1. Rational Persuasion, the nicest form of influence, means telling the truth and explaining why someone should do something, like your doctor convincing you to stop smoking. [citation needed]
  2. Manipulative persuasion, a notch lower, means lying or misleading to get someone to do something. [citation needed]
  3. Inducement still lower, means offering rewards or punishments to get someone to do something, i.e. like bribery.[citation needed]
  4. Power threatens severe punishment, such as jail or loss of job.[citation needed]
  5. Coercion is power with no way out; you have to do it.[citation needed]
  6. Physical force – is backing up coercion with use or threat of bodily harm.[citation needed]

Thus, we can tell which governments are best; the ones that use influence at the higher end of the scale. The worst use the unpleasant forms of influence at the lower end. [citation needed]

Democracy and polyarchies

See also main article on polyarchy

In his book, Democracy and Its Critics (1989), Dahl clarifies his view about democracy. No modern country meets the ideal of democracy, which is as a theoretical utopia. To reach the ideal requires meeting five criteria:[1]

  1. Effective participation
    Citizens must have adequate and equal opportunities to form their preference and place questions on the public agenda and express reasons for one outcome over the other.
  2. Voting equality at the decisive stage
    Each citizen must be assured his or her judgments will be counted as equal in weights to the judgments of others.
  3. Enlightened understanding
    Citizens must enjoy ample and equal opportunities for discovering and affirming what choice would best serve their interests.
  4. Control of the agenda
    Demos or people must have the opportunity to decide what political matters actually are and what should be brought up for deliberation.
  5. Inclusiveness
    Equality must extend to all citizens within the state. Everyone has legitimate stake within the political process.

Instead, he calls politically advanced countries "polyarchies". Polyarchies have elected officials, free and fair elections, inclusive suffrage, rights to run for office, freedom of expression, alternative information and associational autonomy. Those institutions are a major advance in that they create multiple centers of political power.[2]

Prizes

Dahl was awarded the Johan Skytte Prize in Political Science in 1995. [citation needed]

Criticism

Bibliography

The most well-known of Dahl's works include:

  • 1953 - Politics, Economics, and Welfare (with Charles E. Lindblom)
  • 1956 - A Preface to Democratic Theory (new edition in 2006)
  • 1957 - The Concept of Power
  • 1957 - Decision-Making in a Democracy: The Supreme Court as a National Policy-Maker
  • 1960 - Social science research on business: product and potential
  • 1961 - Who Governs?: Democracy and Power in an American City
  • 1963 - Modern Political Analysis
  • 1966 - Political oppositions in Western Democracies
  • 1968 - Pluralist democracy in the United States : conflict and consent
  • 1970 - After the Revolution? : Authority in a good society
  • 1971 - Polyarchy: Participation and Opposition
  • 1973 - Size and Democracy (with Edward R. Tufte)
  • 1983 - Dilemmas of Pluralist Democracy: Autonomy vs. Control
  • 1985 - A Preface to Economic Democracy
  • 1985 - Controlling Nuclear Weapons: Democracy versus Guardianship
  • 1989 - Democracy and Its Critics
  • 1997 - Toward Democracy - a Journey: Reflections, 1940-1997
  • 1998 - On Democracy
  • 2002 - How Democratic Is the American Constitution?
  • 2003 - The Democracy Sourcebook. (An anthology edited by Robert A. Dahl, Ian Shapiro and José Antonio Cheibub)
  • 2005 - After The Gold Rush
  • 2006 - On Political Equality
  1. ^ R.A. Dahl, Democracy and Its Critics, Yale University Press, p.221
  2. ^ R.A. Dahl, Democracy and Its Critics, Yale University Press, p.222
  • Roskin, Cord, Medeiros, Jones. (2008). Political Science: An Introduction,(10th Edition). New Jersey. ISBN 0-13-242576
  • Jeong Chun Hai @Ibrahim, & Nor Fadzlina Nawi. (2007). Principles of Public Administration: An Introduction. Kuala Lumpur: Karisma Publications. ISBN 978-983-195-253-5
  • Robert A. Dahl in the Yale University website.
  • Robert A. Dahl in the Encyclopedia Britannica.
  • Annual Reviews Conversations Interview with Robert A. Dahl (video)

Template:Persondata

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