On Democracy

Examines the structures of the economy and political system of the United States and recommends methods for reforming the American government.

In this accessible and authoritative book, one of the most prominent political theorists of the time provides a primer on democracy that clarifies what democracy is, why it is valuable, how it works, and what challenges it confronts in the future.

Publisher Fact Sheet In this accessible & authoritative book, an eminent political theorist provides a primer on democracy that clarifies what it is, why it is valuable, how it works, & what challenges it confronts in the future. Since its original publication in 1999, the book has been translated or is being translated in more than a dozen foreign languages.

Written by the preeminent democratic theorist of our time, this book explains the nature, value, and mechanics of democracy. In a new introduction to this Veritas edition, Ian Shapiro considers how Dahl would respond to the ongoing challenges democracy faces in the modern world. "Within the liberal democratic camp there is considerable controversy about exactly how to define democracy. Probably the most influential voice among contemporary political scientists in this debate has been that of Robert Dahl."--Marc Plattner, New York Times "An excellent introduction for novices, as well as a trusty handbook for experts and political science mavens."--Publishers Weekly

"Is Democracy in Decline? is a short book that takes up the fascinating question on whether this once-revolutionary form of government--the bedrock of Western liberalism--is fast disappearing. Has the growth of corporate capitalism, mass economic inequality, and endemic corruption reversed the spread of democracy worldwide? In this incisive collection, leading thinkers address this disturbing and critically important issue. Published as part of the National Endowment for Democracy's 25th anniversary--and drawn from articles forthcoming in the Journal of Democracy--this collection includes seven essays from a stellar group of democracy scholars: Francis Fukuyama, Robert Kagan, Thomas Carothers, Marc Plattner, Larry Diamond, Philippe Schmitter, Steven Levitsky, Ivan Krastev, and Lucan Way. Written in a thought-provoking style from seven different perspectives, this book provides an eye-opening look at how the very foundation of Western political culture may be imperiled"--

Bold and unconventional, this book advocates for an institutional turn-about in the relationship between democracy and constitutionalism.

This collection represents the first sustained attempt to grapple with the complex and often paradoxical relationships between surveillance and democracy. Is surveillance a barrier to democratic processes, or might it be a necessary component of democracy? How has the legacy of post 9/11 surveillance developments shaped democratic processes? As surveillance measures are increasingly justified in terms of national security, is there the prospect that a shadow "security state" will emerge? How might new surveillance measures alter the conceptions of citizens and citizenship which are at the heart of democracy? How might new communication and surveillance systems extend (or limit) the prospects for meaningful public activism? Surveillance has become central to human organizational and epistemological endeavours and is a cornerstone of governmental practices in assorted institutional realms. This social transformation towards expanded, intensified and integrated surveillance has produced many consequences. It has also given rise to an increased anxiety about the implications of surveillance for democratic processes; thus raising a series of questions – about what surveillance means, and might mean, for civil liberties, political processes, public discourse, state coercion and public consent – that the leading surveillance scholars gathered here address.

What is democracy? Under what conditions does it thrive? What are the consequences of democracy? This book aims to answer these questions and more by exploring different varieties of democracies around the world. It starts with definitions of democracy and then divides the concept into three dimensions, which provide a framework for the study of democracy in all its forms. These dimensions form the three main sections of the book: *constitutional democracy which explores political rights *participatory democracy which focuses on participation of citizens *egalitarian democracy which examines outcomes of democracy in terms of equality. Democracy concludes by surveying the findings of this empirical study and a discussion on the meanings and consequences of democracy in a globalizing world.