Suchergebnisse

Cover -- Contents -- List of Tables -- Acknowledgements -- Preface -- 1 The Theoretical Challenges of Democracy -- Democratic principles and normative methods -- The circumstances of politics -- The definition of democracy -- 2 Forms of Democratic Government -- Institutions, behaviour, social structure -- An institutional typology -- Evaluating forms of government -- 3 The Justification of Democracy -- The protective case for democracy -- From adjudication to democracy -- Democracy and political equality -- Fallibilism -- Common interests and political ideals -- Democracy and consent -- 4 Deliberation, Consensus and Political Equality -- Consensus and deliberation -- Deliberation and fairness -- Institutional dimensions -- 5 Participation as Democracy, Participation in Democracy -- Participation as democracy: autonomy -- Participation as democracy: moral development -- Participation in democracy -- Why not populism? -- 6 From Conceptions of Representation to Systems of Representation -- The concept of representation -- The lottery alternative -- Responsiveness and representation -- Back to social characteristics? -- A system of representation? -- 7 Aggregation, Unanimity and Majority Rule -- The principle of unanimity -- Majority rule: the axiomatic defence -- The spatial defence -- Two dimensions with no Condorcet-winner -- Empirical aspects -- 8 Democracy, Rights and Constitutionalism -- The constitutional basis for popular government -- Rights-based constitutionalism? -- Political rights -- Democracy and civil rights -- Democracy and property rights -- Courts or legislatures? -- 9 The Boundaries of Inclusion -- The problem of qualification -- The problem of partitioning -- Extension beyond persons? -- 10 International Relations and Democratic Ideals -- Dropping one of the claims? -- Democratic values and international concerns.

Several articles discuss issues surrounding democracy

Originating with the ancient Greeks, democracy has taken many forms through the centuries. The beginning of modern democracies is traced to the Magna Carta in 1215, and afterward the increasing rights of individuals in their governments. The Constitution of the United States embraced the idea of democracy, becoming the great experiment that inspired democratic forms of governments through the years and across the world. This insightful volume includes relevant sources, images, and a timeline to trace the history and permutations of democracy as it has been practiced by different countries.

The essays in this volume, first published in 2000, explore questions about democracy that are relevant to political philosophy and political theory. Some essays discuss the appropriate ends of government or examine the difficulties involved in determining and carrying out the will of the people. Some address questions relating to the kinds of influence citizens can or should have over their representatives, asking, for example, whether individuals have a duty to vote, or whether inequalities in political influence among citizens (measured in terms of campaign contributions) can be morally justified. Other essays analyze democratic institutions, discussing what role deliberation should play in the democratic process, and asking whether it is legitimate to use laws and public policies to express approval or disapproval of various kinds of conduct. Still others examine the relationship between democracy and value pluralism, or consider the suitability of democracy as a form of government in non-Western societies

The concept of democracy is far from new, but this comprehensive volume addresses some of the volatile questions that continue to puzzle even the best of us. Readers will get a survey of the development of this form of government, dating back to its invention in ancient Athens and continuing to the present, following its development with the changing times. Thoughtful questions provoke discussion about its pros and cons, its strengths and weaknesses, and how, even after all these years, this method of governing could be even more effective in the future