Democracy A Beginner's Guide

by Beetham, David

• ISBN13: 9781851683635
• ISBN10: 1851683631
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-04-01
• Publisher: Oneworld Publications

Summary

As the U.S. strives to establish democracy in Iraq and contemplates its ownemocratic system in the wake of the presidential election, David Beethamffers new insights into democracy. He looks at real examples such as theole of the citizen and how large corporations affect democracy as well asontemplating the future of democracy in the developed and developing worlds.

Author Biography

David Beetham is Professor Emeritus of Politics at the University of Leeds, a Fellow of the Human Rights Centre at the University of Essex, and Associate Director of the UK Democratic Audit.

Table of Contents

List of tables and figures	vii
Preface and acknowledgements	ix
one introduction: what is democracy?
The meaning of democracy	2	(3)
Direct and representative democracy	5	(2)
Collective action and individual choice	7	(5)
two democratic ideas in practice	12	(32)
Citizen rights	12	(10)
Institutions of representative and accountable government	22	(14)
The associational life of civil society	36	(8)
three sources of disillusion in the 'old' democracies	44	(25)
Decline in government autonomy	45	(9)
Decline in government capacity	54	(7)
Declining credibility	61	(8)
four success and setback in the new and emergent democracies	69	(33)
Legacies of transition	75	(8)
Consolidating and deepening democracy	83	(19)
five globalising democracy	102	(28)
Democracy promotion	102	(7)
Democratising global institutions	109	(14)
Democracy and the European Union	123	(7)
six reviving democracy: new forms of participation	130	(27)
Participation in government	131	(2)
Co-decision in devolved government	133	(4)
Deliberative polls and citizens' juries	137	(5)
Referenda and citizens' initiatives	142	(8)
Digital democracy	150	(7)
seven conclusion: getting active	157	(30)
Glossary of key terms	162	(16)
List of democracy and human rights organisations and websites	178	(8)
Datasets on democracy and public opinion	186	(1)
Index	187