The reactive nature of the public
Dewey's Public is not the avidly engaged communities from hypothetical government class lectures. He is pragmatic. The goal of democracy is to enfranchise the populace, but Dewey notices that there doesn't seem to be a populace except for the reactive public outcries to injustice, but that means that the status quo is actually not to enfranchise the political beliefs of the public. The goal is to keep the public calm and docile.
The goal of a politician
Although many people have expressed pride in the democratic system, how democratic even is it? Dewey asks his reader to consider what politicians are really doing. They often accept money from interest groups, such that politicians have continually exploited the populace for big economic interests. So, Dewey notices that if politicians are the only ones whose voices really matter, and if they are not really enfranchising the public, then it isn't technically democracy—it's more like business.
The irony of law
Law is designed to help maximize the potential of each citizen, right? Not really. In democratic nations, the tendency is to have a fairly competent law, but not one that the people actually agree with. The law is part of the problem in Dewey's estimation, because legal standards exist in communities that would have come to different conclusions. He feels governments should be smaller and that laws should reflect the interests of their local communities, instead of controlling the behavior of marginalized people groups.
The irony of oligarchy
As long as the people at the top continue to pretend they are advancing the vision of their constituency, they can maintain power in the democracy, because they can get voted for. But here's the irony: Can anyone run for public office? Perhaps in a limited, technical way, yes, but actually, the reality looks like oligarchy. Who has enough money to get an education competent enough to have a real shot at political office? Only those who are already wealthy and powerful.
The irony of nationalism
For these reasons, Dewey feels nationalism is an ironic conclusion. Instead of wanting more enfranchisement, some people have found themselves perfectly convinced that their nation is perfect in its government (an idea often hinted in public education) until a kind of pride arises. Dewey says the public has this problem—that they will often not even consider moving past the current method of government until the situation is desperate.
