Essay: According to Roberto Michels the institutions of modern, mass societies require hierarchical forms of organization. Does this mean that democracy is an impossible goal in modern worlds?

The German political theorist, Roberto Michels introduces the idea of an "iron law of oligarchy," the application of a hierarchy of power. This establishes the idea that democratic institutions are naturally hierarchal in nature, with inflexible organisational processes. His theory states that "democratic" institutions, such as political parties, take away the right for the mass membership to participate in the policy process. The natural conclusion of this argument is that democracy is not an attainable …

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