mmmmm...Angus

The points made by Ian Angus are very clear, and he presents his opinions very clearly in what sounds like the preface to his essay on democracy. He begins very openly stating his point, so any unsuspecting readers who decide that they probably won't like it can change their minds and put it down.
He lays out his two definers for democracy in the second paragraph, stating that for true democracy, defined as "rule by the people," there needs to be complete access to all relevant information to political topics, and people need to be allowed to form political question given the spirit of the times. He then goes on to support these points in his following paragraphs.
Angus begins by discussing some ideas about democracy and how it is to be practiced. He talks about how it is a system in which the people that are subject to the laws are originating them. He also discusses that it is imperative, if the citizens are able to formulate their ideas through challenging each other, that even if they don't see eye to eye, they need to see each other as equals. One of Angus' main points revolves around there needing to be a space in which people are able to give and exchange ideas freely, without having some say that they are wrong. Angus believes that this should lead to people being able to share, criticize, and modify their ideas without being threatened. He blames the institutionalization of democracy on the fact that there is a lack of civic discourse, leading to automatic acceptance of government and it's means. Another point of development for Angus comes in the ways he describes civic identity. He describes it not as always being in agreement, but being respectful of one's fellow citizens.
The other main emphasis of this preface, as listed in the second paragraph, is that information needs to be abundant so that people are able to make their own questions about politics, rather than be handed questions that they are to look at and debate by the politicians themselves. One thing that Angus addresses on this issue is that of television. He discusses the fact that as means of dissemination of information have changed, it has affected democracy. This, he believes has had a negative affect. He sees that people are learning things and developing questions as they watch TV. However, afterwards there is no way to address the TV for answers, thus fostering the development of an ignorant electorate. He also sees the need for all information to be present. Too many times there is one view represented in every place that people go to in order to discuss issues of "democracy."
Finally, Angus gives a decent conclusion where he prepares the reader for the rest of the essay. He writes of two questions he hopes to fully answer in his essay, and writes that he is going to answer these question through the examination of social movements. He concludes by giving democracy a power of change. People generally do not think of democracy as something undergoing change, yet Angus says that it is happening right beneath our noses. He pushes people to realize that democracy is not an institution that is never to be altered, but one that is ready and willing to change if the citizenry will stand up and take its place behind the wheel.