Polyarchy, which means “rule by many,” describes the process of democratization, in contrast to democracy itself.

What is Dahl's definition of democracy?

Dahl argues that "democracy" is an ideal type that no country has ever achieved. For Dahl, democracy is a system that is "completely responsive to all its citizens", and the closest to the democratic ideal any country can come is polyarchy.

What is Dahl's theory?

He established the pluralist theory of democracy—in which political outcomes are enacted through competitive, if unequal, interest groups—and introduced "polyarchy" as a descriptor of actual democratic governance.