Description
Book SynopsisIn praise of previous editions:
"...brilliant introduction." - New Statesman and Society
"From start to finish, Arblaster's book is stimulating and highly readable." - Times Higher Educational Supplement
"...an ideal first book to place in the hands of a student embarking on the study of democracy." - Journal of Commonwealth and Comparative Politics
- What is the meaning of democracy?
- Why has democracy provoked hostility in the past? Has the hostility entirely vanished?
- * How democratic are contemporary Western societies in reality and how might they be made more democratic?
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 th
Table of ContentsPreface and acknowledgements
Preface to the third edition
Introduction
defining democracy
Part one: History
The invention of democracy
The re-emergence of democracy
Popular politics
Part two: Ideas
Government by the people
Majority rule and its problems
Equality and the general interest
Representation and 'direct' democracy
Consent, freedom and debate
Conclusion
creating democracy
Notes
Bibliography
Index.
