When the People Rule

Reviews / Votes

''We, the People...' are the beginning words of the American Constitution, perhaps 'the' founding document of popular sovereignty. Yet who are the People, and who decides who they are, and how? Such questions imply contested notions of identity, belonging, representation and agency. The excellent contributions to this timely volume do not shy away from controversy when pointing to the many challenges autocratic tendencies and nationalisms pose to the liberal order. The book is a 'must-read' for students of democracy and the future of liberalism.' Helmut K. Anheier, Hertie School 'This wide-ranging and timely volume argues persuasively that popular sovereignty is an essential concept for understanding political life. Drawing on an impressive variety of scholarly perspectives, the contributors show how popular sovereignty is an indispensable framework not only for analyzing the origins and evolution of modern democracies and their troubled present, but also for imagining their futures.' Ran Halevi, Gallimard 'When the People Rule is a refreshingly wide ranging, historically rich and conceptually sophisticated set of essays that illuminate the theory and practice of popular sovereignty. Its star cast of theorists and historians rescues the idea of self-rule from the condescension of those who regard it as an empty place holder or a purely formal concept. Instead, it focuses on how political sovereignty is made to work in different contexts through constant innovation and the actual labor of politics. Its essays shed light on many old puzzles in political theory. At the same time, it powerfully illuminates contemporary political debates over democracy and populism.' Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Princeton University and Center for Policy Research Delhi 'Who are The People? Should they rule? Can they? Do they? How? These are among the oldest and deepest questions in political theory. The answers offered by the erudite and provocative essays in this stellar collection set the terms for debating the most pressing issues facing democracy today.' Josiah Ober, Stanford University