Balancing Democracy
Published on 1. July 2001
Book
Paperback/Softback
332 pages
978-0-8264-5031-9 (ISBN)
Description
This book addresses one of the classical concerns of comparative politics: the formation and maintenance of stable democracies. How have political scientists analyzed democracy? What are the ideas and ideals that are contained in the concept of "democracy"? How are notions of sovereignty, territoriality, nation, multiculturalism, representation, rights of individuals, of groups and of communities implicated in our understanding of "democracy"? What institutional manifestations have these ideas, ideals and theoretical constructs in the "real world"? How will "democracy" and democratic institutions develop or change as the new millennium gets underway? Written by a specially commissioned group of international experts, the chapters provide, not crystal ball gazing, but an attempt at detecting socio-political trends, highlighting chances for further democratization and dangers for democratic stability. The chapters not only inform, but also bristle with stimulating ideas and insights, challenging the reader to draw up his or her own "balance sheet" of democracy and democratic rule.
This book should be of interest to students of comparative politics and democratization as well as to the general reader concerned with democratic developments in the 21st century.
This book should be of interest to students of comparative politics and democratization as well as to the general reader concerned with democratic developments in the 21st century.
Reviews / Votes
"This is a strong collection of articles. It covers a wide range of topics relating to democracy - from shifting concepts of citizenship, to multiculturalism, to the practice of democracy in a number of different societies, to the challenges posed by globalization. The articles are by leading specialists in the field; they are clearly argued; and they leave the reader with a sense fo the open-ended nature of the subject." --Professor Philip Resnick, University of British Columbia.More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
540 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-8264-5031-9 (9780826450319)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Roland Axtmann teaches political theory and political sociology in the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Aberdeen.
Content
Introduction 1 - balancing democracy in political science, Roland Axtmann; introduction 2 - between polycentricity and globalization - democratic governance in Europe, Roland Axtmann; nationalism, territoriality and democracy, Derek Urwin; transnational migration, the liberal state and citizenship, Jeroen Doomernik and Roland Axtmann; democracy, multiculturalism and the politics of difference, Barry Hindless; constitutional reform and democratic renewal in the United Kingdom, Michael Dyer; majorities, minorities and democratic governance - the disuniting of Canada?, Peter Leslie; the state, democracy and citizenship in Australia, Alastair Davidson; society and political parties in India, Subrata Kumar Mitra; the prospects for sustainable democracy in post-Apartheid South Africa, Thembisa Waetjen and Martin J. Murray; a future for democracy in Russia?, Klaus von Beyme; democracy and civil society in Central and Eastern Europe, Mary Kaldor and Zdenek Kavan; between the global and the local -democracy in the 21st century, Paul Hirst; the European parliament and democracy in the European Union, Julei Smith; challenge to democracy in an age of globalization, Benjamin Barber.