
Ruling the Void
The Hollowing of Western Democracy
Peter Mair(Author)
Verso Books (Publisher)
Published on 6. August 2013
Book
Paperback/Softback
160 pages
978-1-84467-324-7 (ISBN)
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Description
Throughout the long-established democracies of Western Europe, electoral turnouts are in decline, party membership is shrinking in the major parties, and those who remain loyal partisans are being sapped of enthusiasm. Peter Mair's new book weighs the impact of these changes, which together show that, after a century of democratic aspiration, electorates are deserting the political arena. He examines the alarming parallel development that has seen Europe's political elites remodel themselves as a homogeneous professional class, withdrawing into state institutions that offer relative stability in a world of fickle voters. Meanwhile, non-democratic agencies and practices proliferate and gain credibility-not least among them the European Union itself, an organization whose notorious "democratic deficit" reflects the deliberate intentions of those who founded the EU, an association that now contributes to the depoliticization in the member states.Ruling the Void offers an authoritative and chilling assessment of the prospects for popular political representation today, not only in the varied democracies of Europe but throughout the developed world.
Reviews / Votes
'Peter Mair was one of the leading scholars in the area of comparative politics. He was especially noted for his path-breaking work on change in both political party organizations and party systems ... and his insights into the intersections of politics and society were always worth hearing and reading.'ALAN WARE, Professor of Politics at Oxford University and author of The American Direct Primary
'Peter Mair was one of the true greats of European political science, and one of the leading lights in the field of comparative politics. This was the most brilliant of minds and the most prolific of scholars.'
DAVID FARRELL, President of the Political Studies Association of Ireland and author of Electoral Systems
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 211 mm
Width: 140 mm
Thickness: 15 mm
Weight
251 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-84467-324-7 (9781844673247)
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Schweitzer Classification
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Person
Peter Mair (1951-2011) was one of the leading political scientists of his generation. His books include Party System Change and, with Stefano Bartolini, Identity, Competition and Electoral Availability.