The aim of this paper is to advance our understanding of the normative grammar of the concept of democracy by distinguishing two levels at which a political concept may play a normative function, and proceeds by analysing the concept of democracy at these two levels. It distinguishes in particular between normativity as 'norm-compliance' and normativity as 'paradigmatic' and contends that the concept of democracy has a nor-mative content that extends over both levels. A model of democracy consistent with this approach is then outlined based on a sociological account of democratic patterns of interaction. The structure of the paper is as follows. In sections one and two, I distinguish two meanings of normativity and introduce the concept of 'paradigm normativity'. In section three, I provide examples of rival 'paradigm normative' concepts. In section four, I provide an account of democracy as a 'paradigm normative' concept and in sections five and six, I present its two most important theoretical features. Keywords Democracy, democratic theory, ontology of democracy, pragmatism, social interactionism The aim of this paper is to advance our understanding of the normative grammar of the concept of democracy by distinguishing two levels at which a political concept may play a normative function, and proceeds by analysing the concept of democracy at these two levels. A model of democracy consistent with this approach is then outlined. The article has a hermeneutical or articulatory rather than justi-ficatory aim. No attempt will be made to provide a justification either of democracy in general or of this specific account. Indeed, the whole thrust of the exercise is to advance our understanding of the theoretical potential of the concept of democracy , conceived as a norm for collective action. This aim explains why a purely conceptual strategy is avoided, and historical and sociological arguments are introduced so as to give empirical substance to ideas. My expectation is that such an