Democracy today is widely regarded as an ideal form of government. Yet in practice it sometimes seems a sham, a political puppet show in which hidden elites pull all the strings.
As trust in elected representatives around the world plunges, it is no wonder that democratic revolts have erupted - from Cairo to Kiev and beyond - in an effort to ‘take back control'.
In this urgent and lively history, James Miller reminds us that democracy has always generated tensions and contradictions. Through philosophical debates and violent uprisings, it has been contested, corrupted, and refined. In different times and different places - from ancient Athens to revolutionary France to post-war America - its meaning has shifted in surprising ways.
For over two thousand years, the world has experimented with democracy. But can it really work - especially in complex modern societies?
Author: Miller James
Publisher: ONEWORLD PUBLICATIONS
Pages: 320
ISBN: 9781786076274
Cover: Paperback
Edition Number: 1
Release Year: 2020
James Miller is professor of politics and liberal studies, and faculty director of the MA in creative publishing and critical journalism at the New School for Social Research. He is the author of Examined Lives, which is also published by Oneworld. He lives in New York.
Description
Democracy today is widely regarded as an ideal form of government. Yet in practice it sometimes seems a sham, a political puppet show in which hidden elites pull all the strings.
As trust in elected representatives around the world plunges, it is no wonder that democratic revolts have erupted - from Cairo to Kiev and beyond - in an effort to ‘take back control'.
In this urgent and lively history, James Miller reminds us that democracy has always generated tensions and contradictions. Through philosophical debates and violent uprisings, it has been contested, corrupted, and refined. In different times and different places - from ancient Athens to revolutionary France to post-war America - its meaning has shifted in surprising ways.
For over two thousand years, the world has experimented with democracy. But can it really work - especially in complex modern societies?
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