Democracy and the Limits of Self-Government

Democracy and the Limits of Self-Government PDF Author: Adam Przeworski
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 113948897X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 304

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Book Description
The political institutions under which we live today evolved from a revolutionary idea that shook the world in the second part of the eighteenth century: that a people should govern itself. Yet if we judge contemporary democracies by the ideals of self-government, equality and liberty, we find that democracy is not what it was dreamt to be. This book addresses central issues in democratic theory by analyzing the sources of widespread dissatisfaction with democracies around the world. With attention throughout to historical and cross-national variations, the focus is on the generic limits of democracy in promoting equality, effective participation, control of governments by citizens, and liberty. The conclusion is that although some of this dissatisfaction has good reasons, some is based on an erroneous understanding of how democracy functions. Hence, although the analysis identifies the limits of democracy, it also points to directions for feasible reforms.

Democracy and the Limits of Self-Government

Democracy and the Limits of Self-Government PDF Author: Adam Przeworski
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 113948897X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 304

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Book Description
The political institutions under which we live today evolved from a revolutionary idea that shook the world in the second part of the eighteenth century: that a people should govern itself. Yet if we judge contemporary democracies by the ideals of self-government, equality and liberty, we find that democracy is not what it was dreamt to be. This book addresses central issues in democratic theory by analyzing the sources of widespread dissatisfaction with democracies around the world. With attention throughout to historical and cross-national variations, the focus is on the generic limits of democracy in promoting equality, effective participation, control of governments by citizens, and liberty. The conclusion is that although some of this dissatisfaction has good reasons, some is based on an erroneous understanding of how democracy functions. Hence, although the analysis identifies the limits of democracy, it also points to directions for feasible reforms.

Democracy, Dictatorship, and Term Limits

Democracy, Dictatorship, and Term Limits PDF Author: Alexander Baturo
Publisher: University of Michigan Press
ISBN: 0472119311
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 351

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Book Description
Exploring the factors that lead some presidents to hold on to power beyond their term limits

The China Model

The China Model PDF Author: Daniel A. Bell
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400883482
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 355

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Book Description
How China's political model could prove to be a viable alternative to Western democracy Westerners tend to divide the political world into "good" democracies and “bad” authoritarian regimes. But the Chinese political model does not fit neatly in either category. Over the past three decades, China has evolved a political system that can best be described as “political meritocracy.” The China Model seeks to understand the ideals and the reality of this unique political system. How do the ideals of political meritocracy set the standard for evaluating political progress (and regress) in China? How can China avoid the disadvantages of political meritocracy? And how can political meritocracy best be combined with democracy? Daniel Bell answers these questions and more. Opening with a critique of “one person, one vote” as a way of choosing top leaders, Bell argues that Chinese-style political meritocracy can help to remedy the key flaws of electoral democracy. He discusses the advantages and pitfalls of political meritocracy, distinguishes between different ways of combining meritocracy and democracy, and argues that China has evolved a model of democratic meritocracy that is morally desirable and politically stable. Bell summarizes and evaluates the “China model”—meritocracy at the top, experimentation in the middle, and democracy at the bottom—and its implications for the rest of the world. A timely and original book that will stir up interest and debate, The China Model looks at a political system that not only has had a long history in China, but could prove to be the most important political development of the twenty-first century.

The Legal Limits of Direct Democracy

The Legal Limits of Direct Democracy PDF Author: Moeckli, Daniel
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN: 1800372809
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 297

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Book Description
With the rise of direct-democratic instruments, the relationship between popular sovereignty and the rule of law is set to become one of the defining political issues of our time. This important and timely book provides an in-depth analysis of the limits imposed on referendums and citizens’ initiatives, as well as of systems of reviewing compliance with these limits, in 11 European states.

The Limits of Democratization

The Limits of Democratization PDF Author: Tatu Vanhanen
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 388

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Book Description


Liberal Democracy and the Limits of Tolerance

Liberal Democracy and the Limits of Tolerance PDF Author: Raphael Cohen-Almagor
Publisher: University of Michigan Press
ISBN: 0472023918
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 315

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Book Description
An irony inherent in all political systems is that the principles that underlie and characterize them can also endanger and destroy them. This collection examines the limits that need to be imposed on democracy, liberty, and tolerance in order to ensure the survival of the societies that cherish them. The essays in this volume consider the philosophical difficulties inherent in the concepts of liberty and tolerance; at the same time, they ponder practical problems arising from the tensions between the forces of democracy and the destructive elements that take advantage of liberty to bring harm that undermines democracy. Written in the wake of the assasination of Yitzhak Rabin, this volume is thus dedicated to the question of boundaries: how should democracies cope with antidemocratic forces that challenge its system? How should we respond to threats that undermine democracy and at the same time retain our values and maintain our commitment to democracy and to its underlying values? All the essays here share a belief in the urgency of the need to tackle and find adequate answers to radicalism and political extremism. They cover such topics as the dilemmas embodied in the notion of tolerance, including the cost and regulation of free speech; incitement as distinct from advocacy; the challenge of religious extremism to liberal democracy; the problematics of hate speech; free communication, freedom of the media, and especially the relationships between media and terrorism. The contributors to this volume are David E. Boeyink, Harvey Chisick, Irwin Cotler, David Feldman, Owen Fiss, David Goldberg, J. Michael Jaffe, Edmund B. Lambeth, Sam Lehman-Wilzig, Joseph Eliot Magnet, Richard Moon, Frederick Schauer, and L.W. Sumner. The volume includes the opening remarks of Mrs.Yitzhak Rabin to the conference--dedicated to the late Yitzhak Rabin--at which these papers were originally presented. These studies will appeal to politicians, sociologists, media educators and professionals, jurists and lawyers, as well as the general public.

Public Governance in Asia and the Limits of Electoral Democracy

Public Governance in Asia and the Limits of Electoral Democracy PDF Author: Brian Bridges
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN: 1849806349
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 311

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Book Description
This book documents the search for a workable model of democracy in Asia. It explores the various forms of Asian democracy practiced to date, and throws light on where these models may have failed and where they may have succeeded. The case studies developed provide valuable insights into governance and democracy in Asia (North-east, South-east and South) a region that remains fascinating and dynamic despite the impact of the recent global crisis. The book concludes that whilst there may not be a model that works best in all regions, a key ingredient to a workable model must include sound gove.

New Challenges to Democratization

New Challenges to Democratization PDF Author: Peter Burnell
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1135198616
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 234

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Book Description
Brings together leading international scholars to assess the claim that democratization around the world is facing a serious challenge and features in-depth studies on US democracy promotion, the Middle East, Russia, China and new democracies.

Property Rights and the Limits of Democracy

Property Rights and the Limits of Democracy PDF Author: Charles K. Rowley
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 412

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Book Description
This four-volume set is part of an annual series dedicated to the work of John Locke. These four volumes (available separately) deal with property rights in terms of being a guarantor of liberty; as rent seeking; as part of the constitutional order; and as part of the liberty-state relationship.

The Limits of Constitutional Democracy

The Limits of Constitutional Democracy PDF Author: Jeffrey K. Tulis
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400836794
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 360

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Book Description
Constitutional democracy is at once a flourishing idea filled with optimism and promise--and an enterprise fraught with limitations. Uncovering the reasons for this ambivalence, this book looks at the difficulties of constitutional democracy, and reexamines fundamental questions: What is constitutional democracy? When does it succeed or fail? Can constitutional democracies conduct war? Can they preserve their values and institutions while addressing new forms of global interdependence? The authors gathered here interrogate constitutional democracy's meaning in order to illuminate its future. The book examines key themes--the issues of constitutional failure; the problem of emergency power and whether constitutions should be suspended when emergencies arise; the dilemmas faced when constitutions provide and restrict executive power during wartime; and whether constitutions can adapt to such globalization challenges as immigration, religious resurgence, and nuclear arms proliferation. In addition to the editors, the contributors are Sotirios Barber, Joseph Bessette, Mark Brandon, Daniel Deudney, Christopher Eisgruber, James Fleming, William Harris II, Ran Hirschl, Gary Jacobsohn, Benjamin Kleinerman, Jan-Werner Müller, Kim Scheppele, Rogers Smith, Adrian Vermeule, and Mariah Zeisberg.