The idea of the public sphere as the space where citizens come together to deliberate on issues of common concern and to critique and influence the government has been one of the most influential and contested concepts since the beginnings of debates on the constitution of democracy. It remains central to contemporary issues such as the democratic potential of the internet, the challenges posed by the resurgence of fundamentalisms, and the possibilities for a post-national, cosmopolitan, political order in the age of globalization. This four volume major reference collection is a 'must-have' guide to the idea of the public sphere, its history, the ongoing struggles over its meaning and importance to democracy, and its continuing relevance to emerging issues. Volume One: Discovering the Public Sphere Volume Two: The Political Public Sphere Volume Three: The Cultural Public Sphere Volume Four: The Future of the Public Sphere
"The Theory of Democracy Revisited" is divided into two parts, each of which is self contained. Volume I deals, in the main, with issues that have surfaced in the last decade while Volume II covers themes whose discussion began in ancient Greece. The two volumes, however, also differ in their respective underlying threads. In volume I the contemporary idea of democracy is examined. The classical theory of democracy did not draw, in any systematic manner, a distinction between ideal system and reality. Today, however, we are all highly sensitized to the hiatus between the ideal and the real. The normative (prescriptive) theory, now, by and large, applies to, and elaborates on, the ideals and values of democracy while empirical (descriptive) theory describes how democracies actually perform. The crucial problems thus become: to what extent and in what manner are ideals realized and realizable. This is very much the focus of Volume I. Volume II is more historical and considers the endless debate on power, coercion, liberty, equality, laws, rights, justice, representation, that shaped the vocabulary of politics from Aristotle to Tocqueville.
Britain at the Polls 2005 continues the tradition of previous editions by providing incisive commentary on the 2005 general elections in the United Kingdom. John Bartle joins Anthony King and a group of eminent political experts to provide a measured analysis of the key issues and events that affected the election results. Contributors examine the behavior and performance of each of the main political parties, look at the impact of regional political parties in the UK, assess the role of the media, and analyze how events on the international stage, such as Iraq, affected the election results. The result is an authoritative and readable guide to the intricacies and outcomes of the 2005 election.
Taking a view of inequality as encompassing the distribution of wealth, risk, status, and well-being, this work explores how institutions, individuals, and coalitions contribute to the often surprising twists and turns of distributive politics. It identifies a variety of psychological and institutional factors that influence distributive outcomes.
Can Islamic societies embrace democracy? This title maintains that it is possible, demonstrating that Islam is not inherently hostile to the idea of democracy. It argues that the key to understanding the integration of Islam and democracy lies in social institutions as well as the every days experiences.
A compelling new volume offering a unique perspective on non-violent protest movements and fledgling democracies The New York Times on Emerging Democracies, from the TimesReference from CQ Press imprint, chronicles the peaceful transitions from Soviet or authoritarian order that have occurred over the last thirty years in Europe and Eurasia including: Poland Hungary East Germany Czechoslovakia The Baltic States - Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania Serbia Georgia Ukraine Country by country, the book describes the process of political change and integration from the late 1970s to the 2000s. Author Mary King has selected a variety of articles from The Times to portray each country's transition, including the influence of popular movements and the methods used --boycotts, civil disobedience, demonstrations, picketing, strikes, vigils, economic reform models, and institutional change. King's original narrative provides valuable context and analysis. The TimesReference from CQ Press imprint, focusing on topics in American government, U.S. history, elections, Congress, the presidency, the Supreme Court, journalism, international affairs, current events, and public opinion, is designed to support high-school and college curricula and course work.
Democracy is the most widely used way of organizing politics in the contemporary world. Comparative Democratic Politics brings together a team of renowned international scholars to provide a comprehensive review of theory and research in this essential area of comparative study. A key aim to the book is to introduce and understand representative ......
Provides a survey of the historical and contemporary relationships between religious expression and liberal democracy in the modern world. This book explores contemporary case studies, such as conflicts between Mormons and Evangelicals in the United States, liberation theology in Latin America, Islam and the state in Uzbekistan, and more.
