The central proposition of elitism is that all societies are divided into two classes: the elites and the masses. The elites are the few who govern; and the masses are the many who are governed. Many political scientists believe it is elites and not masses who govern the modern nation. Democracy is government “by the people”, not “by the few”, and popular participation has been viewed as the keynote of classical democratic thought. Nevertheless, even a democratic society would inevitably create elites, and popular participation seems to be unrealistic in a modern society. It is the irony of democracy. The democratic elitism tries to bridge over this gap. By reinterpreting the meaning of democracy, the democratic elitism asserts that elitism and democracy are compatible in a modern, pluralistic society. This study, however, shows that there is no logic relation between elitism and the existence of democracy. The elites are not necessarily the advocates of democracy; the competition among leadership groups does not guarantee the individual citizens for oppression; and election and parliamentary politics may not allow individuals to hold elites accountable for their action. The elites are merely the few who govern and try to maintain the status quo. The survival of democracy rests not only on the shoulders of elites but also on the minds of the masses.