How To Make Democracy Work

Author : Robert D. Putnam,Robert Leonardi,Raffaella Y. Nanetti
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 280 pages
File Size : 48,5 Mb
Release : 1994-05-27
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 140082074X

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Making Democracy Work by Robert D. Putnam,Robert Leonardi,Raffaella Y. Nanetti Pdf

Why do some democratic governments succeed and others fail? In a book that has received attention from policymakers and civic activists in America and around the world, Robert Putnam and his collaborators offer empirical evidence for the importance of "civic community" in developing successful institutions. Their focus is on a unique experiment begun in 1970 when Italy created new governments for each of its regions. After spending two decades analyzing the efficacy of these governments in such fields as agriculture, housing, and health services, they reveal patterns of associationism, trust, and cooperation that facilitate good governance and economic prosperity.

Author : Stephen Breyer
Publisher : Vintage
Page : 290 pages
File Size : 53,9 Mb
Release : 2011-09-13
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780307390837

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Making Our Democracy Work by Stephen Breyer Pdf

Charged with the responsibility of interpreting the Constitution, the Supreme Court has the awesome power to strike down laws enacted by our elected representatives. Why does the public accept the Court’s decisions as legitimate and follow them, even when those decisions are highly unpopular? What must the Court do to maintain the public’s faith? How can it help make our democracy work? In this groundbreaking book, Justice Stephen Breyer tackles these questions and more, offering an original approach to interpreting the Constitution that judges, lawyers, and scholars will look to for many years to come.

Author : Leonard Orr
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 148 pages
File Size : 50,9 Mb
Release : 1972
Category : Political participation
ISBN : OCLC:20105749

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How to Make Democracy Work by Leonard Orr Pdf

Author : Henry Milner
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 312 pages
File Size : 49,8 Mb
Release : 2002
Category : Civics
ISBN : UOM:39015054241297

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Civic Literacy by Henry Milner Pdf

Author : Jason Brennan
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 312 pages
File Size : 52,7 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 : Leonard D. Orr
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 47,5 Mb
Release : 1990-01-01
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 0945793065

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How to Make Democracy Work by Leonard D. Orr Pdf

Author : Melody C. Barnes,Corey D.B. Walker,Thad M. Williamson
Publisher : Edward Elgar Publishing
Page : 296 pages
File Size : 49,7 Mb
Release : 2020-10-30
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781839108136

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Community Wealth Building and the Reconstruction of American Democracy by Melody C. Barnes,Corey D.B. Walker,Thad M. Williamson Pdf

How can we create and sustain an America that never was, but should be? How can we build a robust multiracial democracy in which everyone is valued and everyone possesses political, economic and social capital? How can democracy become a meaningful way of life, for all citizens? By critically probing these questions, the editors of Community Wealth Building and the Reconstruction of American Democracy seize the opportunity to bridge the gap between our democratic aspirations and our current reality.

Author : James Miller
Publisher : Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Page : 320 pages
File Size : 43,8 Mb
Release : 2018-09-18
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780374717247

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Can Democracy Work? by James Miller Pdf

A new history of the world’s most embattled idea Today, democracy is the world’s only broadly accepted political system, and yet it has become synonymous with disappointment and crisis. How did it come to this? In Can Democracy Work? James Miller, the author of the classic history of 1960s protest Democracy Is in the Streets, offers a lively, surprising, and urgent history of the democratic idea from its first stirrings to the present. As he shows, democracy has always been rife with inner tensions. The ancient Greeks preferred to choose leaders by lottery and regarded elections as inherently corrupt and undemocratic. The French revolutionaries sought to incarnate the popular will, but many of them came to see the people as the enemy. And in the United States, the franchise would be extended to some even as it was taken from others. Amid the wars and revolutions of the twentieth century, communists, liberals, and nationalists all sought to claim the ideals of democracy for themselves—even as they manifestly failed to realize them. Ranging from the theaters of Athens to the tents of Occupy Wall Street, Can Democracy Work? is an entertaining and insightful guide to our most cherished—and vexed—ideal.

Author : Christopher H. Achen,Larry M. Bartels
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 408 pages
File Size : 50,6 Mb
Release : 2017-08-29
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781400888740

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Democracy for Realists by Christopher H. Achen,Larry M. Bartels Pdf

Why our belief in government by the people is unrealistic—and what we can do about it Democracy for Realists assails the romantic folk-theory at the heart of contemporary thinking about democratic politics and government, and offers a provocative alternative view grounded in the actual human nature of democratic citizens. Christopher Achen and Larry Bartels deploy a wealth of social-scientific evidence, including ingenious original analyses of topics ranging from abortion politics and budget deficits to the Great Depression and shark attacks, to show that the familiar ideal of thoughtful citizens steering the ship of state from the voting booth is fundamentally misguided. They demonstrate that voters—even those who are well informed and politically engaged—mostly choose parties and candidates on the basis of social identities and partisan loyalties, not political issues. They also show that voters adjust their policy views and even their perceptions of basic matters of fact to match those loyalties. When parties are roughly evenly matched, elections often turn on irrelevant or misleading considerations such as economic spurts or downturns beyond the incumbents' control; the outcomes are essentially random. Thus, voters do not control the course of public policy, even indirectly. Achen and Bartels argue that democratic theory needs to be founded on identity groups and political parties, not on the preferences of individual voters. Now with new analysis of the 2016 elections, Democracy for Realists provides a powerful challenge to conventional thinking, pointing the way toward a fundamentally different understanding of the realities and potential of democratic government.

Author : Taegan D. Goddard,Christopher Riback
Publisher : Scribner Book Company
Page : 278 pages
File Size : 48,8 Mb
Release : 1998
Category : Political Science
ISBN : UOM:39015040145933

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You Won--now What? by Taegan D. Goddard,Christopher Riback Pdf

Sure to be of particular interest to those involved in local government, this primer is full of solid advice on how to create effective government. "You WonNow What?" educates all voters and would-be civil servants on how to take on useful, proactive roles in making the machinery of our government more effective for everyone.

Author : Danny Oppenheimer,Mike Edwards
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 257 pages
File Size : 53,7 Mb
Release : 2012-01-27
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780262300957

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Democracy Despite Itself by Danny Oppenheimer,Mike Edwards Pdf

Why democracy is the most effective form of government despite irrational (and sometime oblivious) voters and flawed (and sometimes inept) politicians. Voters often make irrational decisions based on inaccurate and irrelevant information. Politicians are often inept, corrupt, or out of touch with the will of the people. Elections can be determined by the design of the ballot and the gerrymandered borders of a district. And yet, despite voters who choose candidates according to the boxer–brief dichotomy and politicians who struggle to put together a coherent sentence, democracy works exceptionally well: citizens of democracies are healthier, happier, and freer than citizens of other countries. In Democracy Despite Itself, Danny Oppenheimer, a psychologist, and Mike Edwards, a political scientist, explore this paradox: How can democracy lead to such successful outcomes when the defining characteristic of democracy—elections—is so flawed? Oppenheimer and Edwards argue that democracy works because regular elections, no matter how flawed, produce a variety of unintuitive, positive consequences. The brilliance of democracy, write Oppenheimer and Edwards, does not lie in the people's ability to pick superior leaders. It lies in the many ways that it subtly encourages the flawed people and their flawed leaders to work toward building a better society.

Author : Henry Milner
Publisher : UPNE
Page : 312 pages
File Size : 41,8 Mb
Release : 2002
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 1584651733

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Civic Literacy by Henry Milner Pdf

"How civic literacy underpins effective democracies." - cover.

Author : Eugene Theodore Lies
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 152 pages
File Size : 41,7 Mb
Release : 1942
Category : Citizenship
ISBN : UOM:39015022409398

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How You Can Make Democracy Work by Eugene Theodore Lies Pdf

Author : Greg Mills,Olusegun Obasanjo,Tendai Biti,Jeffrey Herbst
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 55,9 Mb
Release : 2019-03-01
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781787382534

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Democracy Works by Greg Mills,Olusegun Obasanjo,Tendai Biti,Jeffrey Herbst Pdf

Democracy Works asks how we can learn to nurture, deepen and consolidate democracy in Africa. By analyzing transitions within and beyond the continent, the authors identify a 'democratic playbook' robust enough to withstand threats to free and fair elections. However, substantive democracy demands more than just regular polls. It is fundamentally about the inner workings of institutions, the rule of law, separation of powers, checks and balances, and leadership in government and civil society. It is also about values and the welfare and well-being of its citizens, and demands local leadership with a plan for the country beyond simply winning the popular vote. This volume addresses the political, economic and extreme demographic challenges that Africa faces. It is intended as a resource for members of civil society and as a guide for all who seek to enjoy the political and development benefits of democracy in the world's poorest continent. Finally, it is for donors and external actors who have to face critical decisions--especially after ill-fated electoral interventions such as Kenya 2017--about the future of observer missions and aid promoting democracy and good governance.

Author : Rolf Gollob,Peter Krapf
Publisher : Council of Europe
Page : 216 pages
File Size : 55,5 Mb
Release : 2008-01-01
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9287163324

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Living in Democracy by Rolf Gollob,Peter Krapf Pdf

This is a manual for teachers in Education for Democratic Citizenship (EDC) and Human Rights Education (HRE), EDC/HRE textbook editors and curriculum developers. Nine teaching units of approximately four lessons each focus on key concepts of EDC/HRE. The lesson plans give step-by-step instructions and include student handouts and background information for teachers. In this way, the manual is suited for trainees or beginners in the teaching profession and teachers who are receiving in-service teacher training in EDC/HRE. The complete manual provides a full school year's curriculum for lower secondary classes, but as each unit is also complete in itself, the manual allows great flexibility in use. The objective of EDC/HRE is the active citizen who is willing and able to participate in the democratic community. Therefore EDC/HRE strongly emphasize action and task-based learning.