Rather than attempting to wholly eliminate conflict in the political, which agonistic pluralists maintain is conceptually impossible, agonistic pluralism is the model of democracy which attempts to mobilize these passions "towards the promotion of democratic designs." Agonistic pluralists emphasize how the construction of group identities relies on a continuous "other"; this us/them conflict is inherent to politics, and it should be the role of democratic institutions to mitigate such conflicts.
Agonistic pluralism does not seek to eliminate all political conflict, as agonistic pluralists believe this is conceptually unfeasible. Instead, it focuses on channeling these passions "to enhance democratic objectives." Agonistic pluralists stress that the construction of group identities relies on a constant "other," and such conflicts are integral to politics; therefore, democratic institutions should address these divisions.