Sleeping Dogs Theory: Almond and Verba
The concept of the ‘sleeping dogs’ theory of democratic culture is attributed to political scientists Gabriel Almond and Bingham Powell (often associated with the work of Sidney Verba as well).
Almond and Verba, in their seminal work 'The Civic Culture' (1963), explored the foundations of democratic political systems by analyzing citizens' attitudes, beliefs, and values towards politics – collectively known as political culture.
- They identified different types of political culture, contributing significantly to the understanding of how citizens relate to their political systems.
- While the exact phrase ‘sleeping dogs’ might be a later interpretation or specific application, it relates to the ideas within their framework concerning latent or passive aspects of citizen engagement and the stability derived from it.
- The theory suggests that democratic stability can be maintained even with a largely passive or unaware citizenry, akin to 'sleeping dogs' that do not disturb the system unless provoked.
Therefore, Almond and Verba are the key figures associated with developing concepts related to the ‘sleeping dogs’ theory of democratic culture.
Important Questions from Democracy
Which of the following statements are NOT correct regarding the concept of democracy?
I. Society based on an equal opportunity
II. Protection of minority rights by placing checks on majority rule
III. Rule by the rich and advantaged people
Which of the following cannot be considered as the characteristics of democracy?
Which of the following statement is correct regarding the representative democracy?
I. It is an indirect form of democracy.
II. Presidential democracy is a type of representative democracy
III. There are more presidential democracies around the world than parliamentary democracies.
_______ is the idea that questions about human behaviour can be ascertained only through controlled systematic observations in the real world.
Consider the following features: 1. Consent of the governed 2. Political equality 3. Accountability of the ruled to the ruler. Which of the above features outline democratic rule?
