Imperfect Democracies

Author : Patti Tamara Lenard
Publisher : UBC Press
ISBN 13 : 077482378X
Total Pages : 361 pages
Book Rating : 4.84/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Imperfect Democracies written by Patti Tamara Lenard and published by UBC Press. This book was released on 2012-10-01 with total page 361 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Canada and the United States are consistently ranked among the most democratic countries in the world, yet voices expressing concern about the quality of these democracies are becoming louder and more insistent. Critics maintain that the two countries suffer from a “democratic deficit,” a deficit that raises profound questions about the legitimacy and effectiveness of their democratic institutions. Imperfect Democracies brings together Canadian and American scholars to compare how the democratic deficit plays out in the two nations. An important contribution to the field of democratic theory and the study of democratic institutions, this timely book will spark debate on both sides of the border.

Author : Yves Mény
Publisher : ECPR Press
ISBN 13 : 9781786616166
Total Pages : 184 pages
Book Rating : 4.65/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Imperfect Democracies written by Yves Mény and published by ECPR Press. This book was released on 2021 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This book re-examine what democracy is, in the context of democratic disenchantment and surge of support for populist parties, in most, if not all, democratic systems"--

Author : Patti Tamara Lenard
Publisher : UBC Press
ISBN 13 : 0774823798
Total Pages : 362 pages
Book Rating : 4.91/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Imperfect Democracies written by Patti Tamara Lenard and published by UBC Press. This book was released on 2012-10-05 with total page 362 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Canada and the United States are consistently ranked among the most democratic countries in the world, yet voices expressing concern about the quality of these democracies are becoming louder and more insistent. Critics maintain that the two countries suffer from a “democratic deficit,” a deficit that raises profound questions about the legitimacy and effectiveness of their democratic institutions. Imperfect Democracies brings together Canadian and American scholars to compare and contrast the democratic deficit in the two nations. Blending normative theory and empirical analysis, they focus on three key questions: Why talk about a democratic deficit? In what ways are Canadian and American democracies falling short? What can be done to remedy the deficit? An important contribution to the field of democratic theory and the study of democratic institutions, this timely book will spark debate on both sides of the border.

Author : Ilya Somin
Publisher : Stanford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0804789312
Total Pages : 277 pages
Book Rating : 4.18/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Democracy and Political Ignorance written by Ilya Somin and published by Stanford University Press. This book was released on 2013-10-02 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the biggest problems with modern democracy is that most of the public is usually ignorant of politics and government. Often, many people understand that their votes are unlikely to change the outcome of an election and don't see the point in learning much about politics. This may be rational, but it creates a nation of people with little political knowledge and little ability to objectively evaluate what they do know. In Democracy and Political Ignorance, Ilya Somin mines the depths of ignorance in America and reveals the extent to which it is a major problem for democracy. Somin weighs various options for solving this problem, arguing that political ignorance is best mitigated and its effects lessened by decentralizing and limiting government. Somin provocatively argues that people make better decisions when they choose what to purchase in the market or which state or local government to live under, than when they vote at the ballot box, because they have stronger incentives to acquire relevant information and to use it wisely.

Author : Vit Klemes
Publisher : Trafford
ISBN 13 : 9781412017893
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.90/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book An Imperfect Fit written by Vit Klemes and published by Trafford. This book was released on 2004 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The defining characteristic of modern liberal democrats has been their belief that man is 'fundamentally good' and that the goodness of his nature will come to the surface once he is freed from oppression and want and his actions are guided by 'free choice'. This belief can now be put to the test in the advanced democracies of the West which have essentially satisfied these conditions thus providing man with an unprecedented opportunity to demonstrate the fundamental goodness of human nature in practice. In An Imperfect Fit the author offers a picture of its manifestations and it is not too bright. It shows their growing divergence from the cherished belief in all three dimensions of democracy - liberty, equality, and fraternity. But it also shows a stubborn refusal of democratic establishments to face this reality and their ever greater determination to make the dream come true by forcing the 'fundamental goodness' on man's nature from above by 'perfecting' the system. In this the author sees the greatest danger facing democracy today - 'outdemocratizing' itself into self-destruction. Customers from European countries can reduce shipping cost and delivery time by ordering the book from Trafford's UK office by phone (01270 251396), fax (01270 254983), or email ([email protected]). Orders placed online by European customers will automatically go through the UK office.

Author : Jason Brennan
Publisher : Princeton University Press
ISBN 13 : 1400888395
Total Pages : 312 pages
Book Rating : 4.99/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Against Democracy written by Jason Brennan and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2017-09-26 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A bracingly provocative challenge to one of our most cherished ideas and institutions Most people believe democracy is a uniquely just form of government. They believe people have the right to an equal share of political power. And they believe that political participation is good for us—it empowers us, helps us get what we want, and tends to make us smarter, more virtuous, and more caring for one another. These are some of our most cherished ideas about democracy. But Jason Brennan says they are all wrong. In this trenchant book, Brennan argues that democracy should be judged by its results—and the results are not good enough. Just as defendants have a right to a fair trial, citizens have a right to competent government. But democracy is the rule of the ignorant and the irrational, and it all too often falls short. Furthermore, no one has a fundamental right to any share of political power, and exercising political power does most of us little good. On the contrary, a wide range of social science research shows that political participation and democratic deliberation actually tend to make people worse—more irrational, biased, and mean. Given this grim picture, Brennan argues that a new system of government—epistocracy, the rule of the knowledgeable—may be better than democracy, and that it's time to experiment and find out. A challenging critique of democracy and the first sustained defense of the rule of the knowledgeable, Against Democracy is essential reading for scholars and students of politics across the disciplines. Featuring a new preface that situates the book within the current political climate and discusses other alternatives beyond epistocracy, Against Democracy is a challenging critique of democracy and the first sustained defense of the rule of the knowledgeable.

Author : Alfio Mastropaolo
Publisher : ECPR Press
ISBN 13 : 1907301380
Total Pages : 274 pages
Book Rating : 4.84/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Is Democracy a Lost Cause? written by Alfio Mastropaolo and published by ECPR Press. This book was released on 2012-11-22 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Is Democracy a Lost Cause? explores the current debate on democracy. It starts by discussing the meaning of ‘democracy’ and how the understanding of this important political concept has either broadened or contracted, depending on changing political circumstances. Mastropaolo then poses the question of what it means for democracy to be the ‘government of the people’. He deals with the way in which democratic government has been affected by changes in the fabric of society, by the evolution of democratic theory itself, and by the transformations affecting the state and political parties. Political class and citizens’ attitudes towards democratic politics, increasingly characterised by resentment and often taking the form of an anti-politics, are analysed in the concluding chapters.

Author : Larry Diamond
Publisher : Stanford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0804789223
Total Pages : 408 pages
Book Rating : 4.26/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book New Challenges for Maturing Democracies in Korea and Taiwan written by Larry Diamond and published by Stanford University Press. This book was released on 2014-01-29 with total page 408 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: New Challenges for Maturing Democracies in Korea and Taiwan takes a creative and comparative view of the new challenges and dynamics confronting these maturing democracies. Numerous works deal with political change in the two societies individually, but few adopt a comparative approach—and most focus mainly on the emergence of democracy or the politics of the democratization processes. This book, utilizing a broad, interdisciplinary approach, pays careful attention to post-democratization phenomena and the key issues that arise in maturing democracies. What emerges is a picture of two evolving democracies, now secure, but still imperfect and at times disappointing to their citizens—a common feature and challenge of democratic maturation. The book demonstrates that it will fall to the elected political leaders of these two countries to rise above narrow and immediate party interests to mobilize consensus and craft policies that will guide the structural adaptation and reinvigoration of the society and economy in an era that clearly presents for both countries not only steep challenges but also new opportunities.

Author : Barbara Norrander
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1135844992
Total Pages : 168 pages
Book Rating : 4.98/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book The Imperfect Primary written by Barbara Norrander and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2010-08-26 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Recognized as a Choice Outstanding Academic Title in 2011! Many people complain about the complex system used to nominate presidents. The system is hardly rational because it was never carefully planned. Because of the dissatisfaction over the idiosyncrasies of the current system, periodic calls arise to reform the presidential nomination process. But how are we to make sense of the myriad complexities in the system as well as in the calls for change? In The Imperfect Primary, political scientist Barbara Norrander explores how presidential candidates are nominated, discusses past and current proposals for reform, and examines the possibility for more practical, incremental changes to the electoral rules. Norrander reminds us to be careful what we wish for—reforming the presidential nomination process is as complex as the current system. Through the modeling of empirical research to demonstrate how questions of biases can be systematically addressed, students can better see the advantages, disadvantages, and potential for unintended consequences in a whole host of reform proposals.

Author : Vincent Ostrom
Publisher : University of Michigan Press
ISBN 13 : 9780472084562
Total Pages : 358 pages
Book Rating : 4.69/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book The Meaning of Democracy and the Vulnerability of Democracies written by Vincent Ostrom and published by University of Michigan Press. This book was released on 1997 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Considers the social requirements for a thriving democracy