On Democracy - Softcover

Dahl, Robert A.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0300084552 ISBN 13: 9780300084559

Publisher: Yale University Press, 2000

Synopsis

The last half of the 20th century has been an era of democratic triumph. The main anti-democratic regimes - communist, fascist, Nazi - have disappeared, and new democracies are emerging vigorously or tentatively throughout the world. In this book, one of the most prominent political theorists of our time provides a primer on democracy that clarifies what it is, why it is valuable, how it works, and what challenges it confronts in the future.

About this title

Review:

"Democracy has been discussed off and on for about twenty-five hundred years, enough time to provide a tidy set of ideas about democracy on which everyone, or nearly everyone, could agree. For better or worse, that is not the case."

Freshman poly-sci instructors need fret no longer, however; as an introduction to democratic principles, Robert A. Dahl's On Democracy is rather tidy, indeed. Dahl, an emeritus professor of political science at Yale, covers questions like "Where and how did democracy develop?" in accessible--almost chatty--prose, often taking the time to say a few "words about words," in which he examines, for example, the historical connotations of "democracy" and "republic" (it turns out that until James Madison declared there was a political distinction to be made, the only difference between the two was their etymological roots). Experienced readers may find their eyes glazing over at pronouncements such as "Democratic institutions are less likely to develop in a country subject to intervention by another country hostile to democracy in that country," but if you're looking for a comprehensive yet brief overview of how democracy works, On Democracy fits the bill.

From the Inside Flap:

In this accessible and authoritative book, an eminent political theorist provides a primer on democracy that clarifies what it is, why it is valuable, how it works, and what challenges it confronts in the future."Dahl, this country's leading student of democratic theory and practice, has written an eloquent and concise summary of the great issues in democratic thought."-G. John Ikenberry, Foreign Affairs

About this edition

• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0300084552
• ISBN 13: 9780300084559
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 224