Democracy And Its Alternatives

Author : Richard Rose,William Mishler,Christian Haerpfer,Christian W. Haerpfer
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 296 pages
File Size : 55,9 Mb
Release : 1998
Category : Political Science
ISBN : STANFORD:36105023101707

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Democracy and Its Alternatives by Richard Rose,William Mishler,Christian Haerpfer,Christian W. Haerpfer Pdf

The collapse of Communism has created the opportunity for democracy to spread from Prague to the Baltic and Black Seas. But the alternatives--dictatorship or totalitarian rule--are more in keeping with the traditions of Central Europe. And for many post-Communist societies, democracy has come to be associated with inflation, unemployment, crime, and corruption. Is it still true, then, as Winston Churchill suggested a half-century ago, that people will accept democracy with all its faults--because it is better than anything else? To find out, political scientists Richard Rose, William Mishler, and Christian Haerpfer examine evidence from post-Communist societies in eastern Europe. Drawing on data from public opinion and exit polls, election results, and interviews, the authors present testable hypotheses regarding regime change, consolidation, and prospects for stabilization. The authors point out that the abrupt transition to democracy in post-Communist countries is normal; gradual evolution in the Anglo-American way is the exception to the rule. While most recent books on democratization focus on Latin America and, to some extent, Asia, the present volume offers a unique look at the process currently under way in nine eastern European countries: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania, Belarus, and Ukraine. Despite the many problems these post-Communist societies are experiencing in making the transition to a more open and democratic polity, the authors conclude that a little democracy is better than no democracy at all.

Author : Anonim
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 42,6 Mb
Release : 2022-08-12
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 1644653354

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Democracy and Its Alternatives by Anonim Pdf

Author : Sabrina P. Ramet
Publisher : Central European University Press
Page : 492 pages
File Size : 41,5 Mb
Release : 2019-06-12
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9789633863107

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Alternatives to Democracy in Twentieth-Century Europe by Sabrina P. Ramet Pdf

Alternatives to Democracy in Twentieth-Century Europe examines the historical examples of Soviet Communism, Italian Fascism, German Nazism, and Spanish Anarchism, suggesting that, in spite of their differences, they had some key features in common, in particular their shared hostility to individualism, representative government, laissez faire capitalism, and the decadence they associated with modern culture. But rather than seeking to return to earlier ways of working these movements and regimes sought to design a new future – an alternative future – that would restore the nation to spiritual and political health. The Fascists, for their part, specifically promoted palingenesis, which is to say the spiritual rebirth of the nation. The book closes with a long epilogue, in which Ramet defends liberal democracy, highlighting its strengths and advantages. In this chapter, the author identifies five key choke points, which would-be authoritarians typically seek to control, subvert, or instrumentalize: electoral rules, the judiciary, the media, hate speech, and surveillance, and looks at the cases of Viktor Orbán’s Hungary, Jarosław Kaczyński’s Poland, and Donald Trump’s United States.

Author : Jones, Bryn,O'Donnell, Mike
Publisher : Policy Press
Page : 298 pages
File Size : 49,8 Mb
Release : 2017-02-08
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781447331155

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Alternatives to Neoliberalism by Jones, Bryn,O'Donnell, Mike Pdf

In this collection, innovative and eminent social and policy analysts, including Colin Crouch, Anna Coote, Grahame Thompson and Ted Benton, challenge the failing but still dominant ideology and policies of neo-liberalism. The editors synthesise contributors’ ideas into a revised framework for social democracy; rooted in feminism, environmentalism, democratic equality and market accountability to civil society. This constructive and stimulating collection will be invaluable for those teaching, studying and campaigning for transformative political, economic and social policies.

Author : Elena Baracani,Roberto Di Quirico
Publisher : EPAP
Page : 282 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 2013
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 8883980778

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Alternatives to Democracy by Elena Baracani,Roberto Di Quirico Pdf

Author : John Burnheim
Publisher : Sydney University Press
Page : 163 pages
File Size : 45,8 Mb
Release : 2006
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781920898427

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Is Democracy Possible? by John Burnheim Pdf

In Is Democracy Possible? John Burnheim presents bold and original proposals for the working of a new democracy. In particular he provides a radical reinterpretation of the concept and mechanics of representation and a structure that is designed to avoid concentrations of power and powertrading at any level. Among other points, he argues that we must abandon mass voting in favour of statistical representation. For the second edition of this important work, Burnheim reflects upon the impact of the book and upon his current thoughts on the primary issues he raised when it was first published in 1985. Despite a generation of dramatic historical change and intense theoretical interest in issues of global democratisation since then, the problems raised remain unsolved. Is Democracy Possible? remains a distinctive and provocative discussion of the possibilities for the democratic reorganisation of modern society. 'Is Democracy Possible? should ... be widely read. It is a clear and freshly written statement of an unconventional and provocative thesis which will stimulate the jaded and annoy the complacent.' Vernon Bogdabor, Times Literary Supplement

Author : Bernd Reiter
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
Page : 264 pages
File Size : 46,8 Mb
Release : 2017-08-24
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781786603661

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The Crisis of Liberal Democracy and the Path Ahead by Bernd Reiter Pdf

Offers insights into the Global Justice Movement – an influential transnational movement and predecessor of the recent struggles for economic and social justice and against austerity.

Author : Roberto Mangabeira Unger
Publisher : Verso
Page : 334 pages
File Size : 47,5 Mb
Release : 1998
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 1859849830

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Democracy Realized by Roberto Mangabeira Unger Pdf

A radical program of reform from a commanding political theorist. Roberto Unger is widely recognized as one of the most innovative and intellectually audacious political and legal theorists alive today. Placing himself in the tradition of "revolutionary reforms," Unger has charted a course between social democracy and neoliberalism, seeking to combine the best element of both nonstatist and liberal aspirations. In this new work, Unger brings to bear his unique understanding of the replaceable nature of social and political institutions on the present global situation. The world economy is being reorganized as a network of economic vanguards, of privileged insiders, separated from the economic rearguard, the largely disenfranchised outsiders. Traditional devices for containing this division, whether through a redistributive welfare state or the support of small business, have proved inadequate. Democracy Realized challenges the ideological dominance of neoliberalism, which insists that all countries must converge in their acceptance of the dictates of market "flexibility." Instead, Unger has developed practical alternatives that can narrow the divide between insiders and outsiders. In particular, he argues that in rich and poor countries alike, a more decentralized and inclusive relationship can be built between business and government, and that levels of civic engagement and group organization can be heightened and strengthened. In an age when leftist and progressive circles are marked by timidity and defensiveness, Unger's Democracy Realized restores intellectual courage and programmatic zeal to political thought.

Author : Jason Brennan
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 312 pages
File Size : 43,5 Mb
Release : 2017-09-26
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781400888399

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Against Democracy by Jason Brennan Pdf

A bracingly provocative challenge to one of our most cherished ideas and institutions Most people believe democracy is a uniquely just form of government. They believe people have the right to an equal share of political power. And they believe that political participation is good for us—it empowers us, helps us get what we want, and tends to make us smarter, more virtuous, and more caring for one another. These are some of our most cherished ideas about democracy. But Jason Brennan says they are all wrong. In this trenchant book, Brennan argues that democracy should be judged by its results—and the results are not good enough. Just as defendants have a right to a fair trial, citizens have a right to competent government. But democracy is the rule of the ignorant and the irrational, and it all too often falls short. Furthermore, no one has a fundamental right to any share of political power, and exercising political power does most of us little good. On the contrary, a wide range of social science research shows that political participation and democratic deliberation actually tend to make people worse—more irrational, biased, and mean. Given this grim picture, Brennan argues that a new system of government—epistocracy, the rule of the knowledgeable—may be better than democracy, and that it's time to experiment and find out. A challenging critique of democracy and the first sustained defense of the rule of the knowledgeable, Against Democracy is essential reading for scholars and students of politics across the disciplines. Featuring a new preface that situates the book within the current political climate and discusses other alternatives beyond epistocracy, Against Democracy is a challenging critique of democracy and the first sustained defense of the rule of the knowledgeable.

Author : Allan Engler
Publisher : Fernwood Books Limited
Page : 111 pages
File Size : 45,6 Mb
Release : 2010
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 1552663469

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Economic Democracy by Allan Engler Pdf

"Identifying capitalism as a system of socialized labour, privately owned capitalist collectives (corporations) and workplace (dictatorships), this book proposes economic democracy as an alternative form of organization. Unlike the capitalist system, which centralizes power with a small elite, economic democracy entitles everyone to a voice and equal vote in their communities' economic and political decisions. Workplace and community democracy will replace capitalist (corporate) dictatorship. Engler proposes that working-class change will be based on workplace organizations, community mobilizations and democratic political action; on gains and reforms that improve living conditions while methodically replacing wealthholders' entitlement with human entitlement, capitalist ownership with community ownership and master-servant relations with workplace democracy."--Publisher's website.

Author : András Sajó,Lorri Rutt Bentch
Publisher : Eleven International Publishing
Page : 271 pages
File Size : 40,6 Mb
Release : 2004
Category : Civil rights
ISBN : 9789077596043

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Militant Democracy by András Sajó,Lorri Rutt Bentch Pdf

This book is a collection of contributions by leading scholars on theoretical and contemporary problems of militant democracy. The term 'militant democracy' was first coined in 1937. In a militant democracy preventive measures are aimed, at least in practice, at restricting people who would openly contest and challenge democratic institutions and fundamental preconditions of democracy like secularism - even though such persons act within the existing limits of, and rely on the rights offered by, democracy. In the shadow of the current wars on terrorism, which can also involve rights restrictions, the overlapping though distinct problem of militant democracy seems to be lost, notwithstanding its importance for emerging and established democracies. This volume will be of particular significance outside the German-speaking world, since the bulk of the relevant literature on militant democracy is in the German language. The book is of interest to academics in the field of law, political studies and constitutionalism.

Author : Arthur MacEwan
Publisher : Zed Books
Page : 276 pages
File Size : 54,5 Mb
Release : 1999
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 1856497259

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Neo-liberalism Or Democracy? by Arthur MacEwan Pdf

Explores some central tenets of modern economics, subjecting them to trenchant examination - including the case for free trade and the inevitability of ever more grotesque income inequalities. The book argues that there is a feasible alternative in a democratically controlled economic strategy

Author : Fernando Casal Bértoa,Zsolt Enyedi
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 320 pages
File Size : 47,5 Mb
Release : 2021-05-09
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780192556691

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Party System Closure by Fernando Casal Bértoa,Zsolt Enyedi Pdf

Party System Closure maps trends in interparty relations in Europe from 1848 until 2019. It investigates how the length of democratic experience, the institutionalization of individual parties, the fragmentation of parliaments, and the support for anti-establishment parties, shape the degree of institutionalization of party systems. The analyses presented answer the questions of whether predictability in partisan interactions is necessary for the survival of democratic regimes and whether it improves or undermines the quality of democracy. The developments of party politics at the elite level are contrasted with the dynamics of voting behaviour. The comparisons of distinct historical periods and of macro-regions provide a comprehensive picture of the European history of party competition and cooperation. The empirical overview presented in the book is based on a novel conceptual framework and features party composition data of more than a thousand European governments. Party systems are analysed in terms of poles and blocs, and the degree of closure and of polarization is related to a new party system typology. The book demonstrates that information collected from partisan interactions at the time of government formation can reveal changes that characterise the party system as a whole. The empirical results confirm that the Cold War period (1945-1989) was exceptionally stable, while the post-Berlin-Wall era shows signs of disintegration, although more at the level of voters than at the level of elites. After three decades of democratic politics in Europe (1990-2019), the West and the South are looking increasingly like the East, especially in terms of the level of party de-institutionalization. The West and the South are becoming more polarised than the East, but in terms of parliamentary fragmentation, the party systems of the South and the East are converging, while the West is diverging from the rest with its increasingly high number of parties. As far as our central concept, party system closure, is concerned, thanks to the gradual process of stabilization in the East, and the recent de-institutionalization in the West and South, the regional differences are declining. Comparative Politics is a series for researchers, teachers, and students of political science that deals with contemporary government and politics. Global in scope, books in the series are characterised by a stress on comparative analysis and strong methodological rigour. The series is published in association with the European Consortium for Political Research. For more information visit: www.ecprnet.eu. The series is edited by Susan Scarrow, Chair of the Department of Political Science, University of Houston, and Jonathan Slapin, Professor of Political Institutions and European Politics, Department of Political Science, University of Zurich.

Author : Roberto Mangabeira Unger
Publisher : Verso Books
Page : 169 pages
File Size : 42,5 Mb
Release : 2020-05-05
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781789605099

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The Left Alternative by Roberto Mangabeira Unger Pdf

Confronting the major debates in the world today-about national alternatives and alternative globalizations-Unger shows that there is a set of initiatives that we can begin to develop with the materials at hand. Fully updated with a new preface, The Left Alternative equips the Left with the ideas that it needs to overthrow the dictatorship of no alternatives.

Author : Nina Bascia,Esther Sokolov Fine,Malcolm Levin
Publisher : Springer
Page : 281 pages
File Size : 45,8 Mb
Release : 2017-08-14
Category : Education
ISBN : 9783319542591

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Alternative Schooling and Student Engagement by Nina Bascia,Esther Sokolov Fine,Malcolm Levin Pdf

This book explores the unique phenomenon of public alternative schools in Toronto, Canada and other large urban areas. Although schools of this kind have existed for more than a century, very little has been written about the alternative school movement. These alternatives focus more on child-centered instruction, give many students (and teachers) opportunities to organize the school differently, provide a greater voice for teachers, students, and parents, and engage students far more with experiential learning. When traditional school structures are failing to meet the needs of many children and youth, there is a rapidly growing need for information and discussion about alternatives that will encourage their talents and serve their needs. This book draws attention to the issue of alternative schooling to help make it more accessible to a wider audience.