The strongest point to be made in behalf of even such rudimentary political forms as democracy has already attained, popular voting, majority rule and so on, is that to some extent they involve a consultation and discussion which uncover social needs and troubles.
Dewey defends rudimentary democratic practices for their role in fostering discussion about social needs.
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In other words, every officer of the public, whether he represents it as a voter or as a stated official, has a dual capacity.
The foe to be dreaded is interference of government.
But he does so only at the cost of repression of those of his potentialities which can be realized only through membership in other groups.
There is therefore no necessary connection between the private character of an act and its non-social or anti-social character.