Democracy and Its CriticsIn this prize-winning book, one of the most prominent political theorists of our time makes a major statement about what democracy is and why it is important. Robert Dahl examines the most basic assumptions of democratic theory, tests them against the questions raised by its critics, and recasts the theory of democracy into a new and coherent whole. He concludes by discussing the directions in which democracy must move if advanced democratic states are to exist in the future. “When Robert Dahl speaks about democracy, everyone should listen. With Democracy and Its Critics Dahl has produced a work destined to become another classic.”—Lucian W. Pye, American Political Science Review “In this magisterial work [Dahl]… describe[s] what democracy means…; why our own democracy is still deeply flawed; and how we could reform it…. A work of extraordinary intelligence and, what is even rarer, a work of extraordinary wisdom.”—Robert N. Bellah, New York Times Book Review |
Contents
13 | |
24 | |
Anarchism | 37 |
Guardianship | 52 |
A Critique of Guardianship | 65 |
The Idea of Equal Intrinsic Worth | 83 |
Personal Autonomy | 97 |
A Theory of the Democratic Process | 106 |
Process versus Process | 176 |
When Is a People Entitled to the Democratic Process? | 193 |
PART FIVE THE LIMITS AND POSSIBILITIES OF DEMOCRACY | 211 |
Democracy Polyarchy and Participation | 225 |
How Polyarchy Developed in Some Countries | 232 |
Why Polyarchy Developed in Some Countries | 244 |
Is Minority Domination Inevitable? | 265 |
Pluralism Polyarchy and the Common Good | 280 |
The Problem of Inclusion | 119 |
Majority Rule and the Democratic Process | 135 |
Is There a Better Alternative? | 153 |
Process and Substance | 163 |
The Common Good as Process and Substance | 299 |
Democracy in Tomorrows World | 311 |
Sketches for an Advanced Democratic Country | 322 |
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