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Democracy

A Reader

edited by Larry Diamond and Marc F. Plattner

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Since its inception, the Journal of Democracy has served as the premier venue for scholarship on democratization. The newest volume in the acclaimed Journal of Democracy book series, Democracy: A Reader brings together the seminal works that have appeared in its pages in nearly twenty years of publication.

Democracy is in retreat around the world, giving renewed relevance and urgency to fundamental questions about the system that nevertheless remains the ideal standard of governance. Contributors ask: What exactly is democracy, and what sustains it? What institutions are best suited to a...

Since its inception, the Journal of Democracy has served as the premier venue for scholarship on democratization. The newest volume in the acclaimed Journal of Democracy book series, Democracy: A Reader brings together the seminal works that have appeared in its pages in nearly twenty years of publication.

Democracy is in retreat around the world, giving renewed relevance and urgency to fundamental questions about the system that nevertheless remains the ideal standard of governance. Contributors ask: What exactly is democracy, and what sustains it? What institutions are best suited to a democratic system? Can elections produce undemocratic outcomes? Is democracy a universal value?

Democracy: A Reader addresses these important concerns with critical discussions on delegative democracy, social capital, constitutional design, federalism, hybrid regimes, competitive authoritarianism, and more. With such influential contributors as Francis Fukuyama, Robert Putnam, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and Anwar Ibrahim, this is an indispensable resource for students of democracy and instructors at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Contributors: Michael E. Alvarez, Nancy Bermeo, Russell Bova, José Antonio Cheibub, Larry Diamond, Jørgen Elklit, Abdou Filali-Ansary, M. Steven Fish, Francis Fukuyama, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Donald L. Horowitz, Anwar Ibrahim, Terry Lynn Karl, Steven Levitsky, Arend Lijphart, Fernando Limongi, Vali Nasr, Guillermo O'Donnell, Marc F. Plattner, Adam Przeworski, Robert D. Putnam, Andrew Reynolds, Giovanni Sartori, Andreas Schedler, Philippe C. Schmitter, Amartya Sen, Alfred Stepan, Palle Svensson, Nicolas van de Walle, Lucan A. Way

Reviews

Reviews

In all, this is an excellent book for students of politics, and would also be a great benefit to many of democracy's practitioners.

About

Book Details

Publication Date
Status
Available
Trim Size
6
x
9
Pages
440
ISBN
9780801893780
Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction
Part I: What is Democracy?
Chapter 1. What Democracy Is...And Is Not
Chapter 2. What Makes Elections Free and Fair?
Chapter 3. Delegative Democracy
Chapter 4. How Far Can Free

Acknowledgments
Introduction
Part I: What is Democracy?
Chapter 1. What Democracy Is...And Is Not
Chapter 2. What Makes Elections Free and Fair?
Chapter 3. Delegative Democracy
Chapter 4. How Far Can Free Government Travel?
Chapter 5. From Liberalism to Liberal Democracy
Part II: What Sustains Democracy?
Chapter 6. Three Paradoxes of Democracy
Chapter 7. What Makes Democracies Endure?
Chapter 8. Bowling Alone: America's Declining Social Capital
Chapter 9. Religion, Democracy, and the "Twin Tolerations"
Part III: What Institutions Work Best?
Chapter 10. Constitutional Design for Divided Societies
Chapter 11. Federalism and Democracy: Beyong the U.S. Model
Chapter 12. The Import of Institutions
Chapter 13. Constitutional Courts: A Primer for Decision Makers
Chapter 14. Stronger Legislatures, Stronger Democracies
Chapter 15. Constitutional Medicine
Part IV: Elections Without Democracy?
Chapter 16. Thinking About Hybrid Regimes
Chapter 17. The Rise of Competitive Authoritarianism
Chapter 18. The Menu of Manipulation
Chapter 19. Africa's Range of Regimes
Chapter 20. International Linkage and Democratization
Part V: Is Democacy a Universal Value?
Chapter 21. Democracy as a Univeral Value
Chapter 22. Democracy and Liberty: The Cultural Connection
Chapter 23. Confucianism and Democracy
Chapter 24. Buddhism, Asian Values, and Democracy
Chapter 25. Muslims and Democracy
Chapter 27. The Rise of "Muslim Democracy"
Index

Author Bios
Featured Contributor

Larry Diamond

Larry Diamond is coeditor of the Journal of Democracy, codirector of the International Forum for Democratic Studies, and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution.
Featured Contributor

Marc F. Plattner

Marc F. Plattner is vice president for research and studies at the National Endowment for Democracy. Plattner and Diamond are coeditors of the Journal of Democracy.