Demokratikus-e a felhatalmazáselmélet? Megjegyzések Körösényi András tanulmányához
Is the authorization theory democratic? Comments on the paper of András Körösényi

Summary/Abstract: The detailed commentary challenges the central claim of András Körösényi’s paper on democratic elitism, namely that authorization theory based on Schumpeter’s insights is a realistic and promising theory of democratic representation. I argue that the core assumptions of the Schumpeterian project are far from trivially realistic, lead to problematic conclusions, differ radically from most other accounts of representative government, and ultimately stretch the limit of democratic theory too far. I posit that a particular view of the complexity of the political environment is consistent with the observed low level of voters’ competence but would still be compatible with the possibility of meaningful accountability. In the last section of the paper I put forward an argument why normative considerations cannot be completely eliminated from any theoretical account of democracy. and the importance within the political system (semi-presidential vs. parliamentary system). The historical arguments brought forward by the late prime minister, József Antall proposed a compromise between the state-party’s views (semi-presidential system and direct election) and the most determined parts of the Opposition Roundtable (Free Democrats and Young Democrats) establishing a general principle grounded on arguments of a historical public-legal continuity for parliamentary system and a possibility of exception appealing to the exceptionality of the situation. While this proposal was never accepted by all sides of the Roundtable talks, at the same time, due to their liberal and democratic content, the historical arguments made it possible to make partial compromises between the state-partyand the moderate groups (Forum of Hungarian Democrats) of the opposition, later between the newly elected parliamentary majority (Forum) and opposition (Free Democrats) and this way it helped to make the process of democratic transition easier. Ironically, these historical arguments for a liberal democratic political model later effected heated debates between the new right and left parliamentary parties after 1990 as well, for the conception of historical continuity underwent a change of reference and became identified with the anti-democratic, anti-liberal and merely anachronistic political traditions of the Hungarian political culture.

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