Democracy (Concepts in the social sciences) - Hardcover
/pas0/In praise of previous editions:/par0/par0/"...brilliant introduction." - New Statesman and Society/par0/par0/"From start to finish, Arblaster's book is stimulating and highly readable." - Times Higher/par0/par0/"...an ideal first book to place in the hands of a student embarking on the study of democracy." - Journal of Commonwealth and Comparative Politics/par0/par0/* What is the meaning of democracy?/par0/* Why has democracy provoked hostility in the past? Has the hostility entirely vanished?/par0/* How democratic are contemporary Western societies in reality and how might they be made more democratic?
/par0/The revised and updated edition of this widely acclaimed survey takes account of the very different global context in which any discussion of democracy must now take place, including the mighty power of the multinationals vis-a-vis elected governments, the resurgence of the idea of an Islamic alternative to the Western democratic ideal, and the suggestion that unelected but powerful international bodies are effectively eroding the authority of the democratic state. Anthony Arblaster looks first at the history of both the theory and practice of democracy, and the fierce opposition it has often provoked, showing how the representative version of democracy we are now familiar with was a relatively late arrival on the scene. He finds the core of the idea of democracy in the notion of popular power, and in the second part of the book he explores the meaning of this and the problems it involves. Drawing on the classic writings of Rousseau, Paine and John Stuart Mill, he shows how wide the gap is between their vision of a fully democratic society and the limited realities of the Western democracies of today. Democracy, he argues, remains a relevant ideal and a challenge to much conventional political thinking, as well as to the centralizing tendencies of global power.
/par0/The revised and updated edition of this widely acclaimed survey takes account of the very different global context in which any discussion of democracy must now take place, including the mighty power of the multinationals vis-a-vis elected governments, the resurgence of the idea of an Islamic alternative to the Western democratic ideal, and the suggestion that unelected but powerful international bodies are effectively eroding the authority of the democratic state. Anthony Arblaster looks first at the history of both the theory and practice of democracy, and the fierce opposition it has often provoked, showing how the representative version of democracy we are now familiar with was a relatively late arrival on the scene. He finds the core of the idea of democracy in the notion of popular power, and in the second part of the book he explores the meaning of this and the problems it involves. Drawing on the classic writings of Rousseau, Paine and John Stuart Mill, he shows how wide the gap is between their vision of a fully democratic society and the limited realities of the Western democracies of today. Democracy, he argues, remains a relevant ideal and a challenge to much conventional political thinking, as well as to the centralizing tendencies of global power.
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From the Back Cover:
Arblaster finds the core of the idea of democracy in the notion of popular power, and in the second half of his book he explores the meaning of this concept and the problems it creates.
About the Author:
Anthony Arblaster recently retired as Reader in Politics at the University of Sheffield, where he had taught since 1970. He was previously a journalist on the staff of Tribune. He is the author of The Rise and Decline of Wesern Liberalism and Viva la Liberta!, a study of politics in opera.
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- PublisherOpen University Press
- Publication date1987
- ISBN 10 0335153666
- ISBN 13 9780335153664
- BindingHardcover
- Number of pages119
- Rating
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Democracy
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Open University Press
(1987)
ISBN 10: 0335153666
ISBN 13: 9780335153664
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Hardcover
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Book Description Condition: Fair. This is an ex-library book and may have the usual library/used-book markings inside.This book has hardback covers. Book contains pencil markings. In fair condition, suitable as a study copy. No dust jacket. Please note the Image in this listing is a stock photo and may not match the covers of the actual item,300grams, ISBN:0335153666. Seller Inventory # 9810077
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