I read the Classroom Democracy link and I just don't get it. What is the purpose? It sounds like a great time sink. May be a good concept for a Social Studies class to get their minds around how government works, but how does it actually increase the knowledge or wisdom of the class? However, he seems to be talking about general things like when a quiz is given. Is the goal to increase "buy in" from the students? I'm not sure the slackers are going to care either way and you already have the motivated students on your side.
My humble opinion is the biggest factor in how a student behaves and performs is the expectation of the parents.

Barnabus
 

Barnabus,

Buy-in is a major part. The series could have done with more citations from polisci and genetic factors to put it in perspective.

It's wrong to cut students into just broad motivated and non-motivated classes: too often, in this binary relation "motivated" really just means "speaks up in class" or "writes very good papers," and is conflated.

Slackers care because their grade is on the line. In the Classroom Democracy system, the elected Prime Minister has the ability to determine how attendence is taken, the nature of quizes, etc. Grades are effected by elections.

Students hate being free-riden, and are less likely to cut-slack to free-riders than teachers are. This allows higher-functioning classroom without a negative teacher-v-student dynamic developing. It allows students to police themselves, which they do quite well.

Learning Evolved and Student Nature flesh out the thoughts a bit more, though I agree that the picture is still incomplete.
 

Thanks for the response Dan...it certainly is an interesting idea. I'll send my daughter over to your site and the links since she is set on becoming a secondary school teacher.

Barnabus