Samtalets helgd. En rekonstruktion av den svenska elitens demokratisyn

Sammanfattning: Democracy is said to uphold the dearest values and be the most moral system. But it cannot be characterized as a rigid "syste" but a continuously changing political framework, under which aims and values can be fulfilled - and replaced. The increasingly diverse and ever-changing environment of contemporary democracies forces change upon the systems' natural evolution, which makes their future features uncertain and unforeseeable. A powerful change-force doctrine does however claim change is mainly (or merely) caused by the power of ideas; the elite power over ideas can thus provide a natural foundation for the analysis of the direction of development for democracy. This study aims to provide such a foundation by reconstructing empirical and normative descriptions of democracy at two certain points in time, following extensive government studies. As a tool for analysis, this study identifies values of substantial and procedural character central to democracy theory and discourse. It further creates ideal types of democracy based on these values, to which the nature of democracy is measured. The emphasis of the study is to identify and provide a structural analysis of democratic values, with which the empirical and normative doctrines of democracy are reconstructed. The purpose of this report is to provide a thorough value-based understanding of the Swedish empirical and normative doctrines of democracy from 1990 and 2000, based on the government studies Maktutredningen and Demokratiutredningen. Based on the understanding provided in the conclusions of this report a formalized comparative study can be undertaken to provide the political science community with knowledge of the change in Swedish democracy.