The Rule of the Many

by Christiano, Thomas

• ISBN13: 9780813314549
• ISBN10: 0813314542
• eBook ISBN(s): 9780429975493
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1996-08-01
• Publisher: Westview Pr
• More Book Details
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Summary

There is no problem more crucial to contemporary political thought than the status of democracy, its role, and its problems in the contemporary world. In this survey of democratic theory, Thomas Christiano introduces the reader to the principles underlying democracy and to the problems involved in applying these principles to real life situations.Begining with the simple, democratically inspired presumption that the interests of all citizens are to be treated equally, Christiano argues that the implications of such a minimal commitment clarify the nature of democracy and what must be demanded of democratic institutions. He argues that it is the collision of this demand for equality with the fact of pluralism of interests that determines how democratic institutions ought to be designed. This strong sense of reality will be welcomed by those interested in practical questions of transition in newly democratizing states.Christiano combines a broad coverage of important positions taken by others with the exposition of his own ideas, allowing his text to appeal to a wide range of readers, from introductory students to experienced scholars. Clear, accessible, and often elegant,The Rule of the Manyis a splendid introduction to democratic theory, one that will take its place as both an important scholarly contribution and as an effective text.

Author Biography

Thomas Christiano is associate professor of philosophy at the University of Arizona

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. ix
Introduction	p. 1
Notes	p. 11
Foundations of Democracy	p. 13
Self-Government	p. 15
Equality	p. 47
Notes	p. 98
Democracy and the Problem of the Modern State	p. 103
the Challenge of the Modern State to the Democratic Ideals	p. 104
Notes	p. 128
the Economic Conception of Citizenship	p. 131
Notes	p. 159
a Normative Conception of Citizenship	p. 165
Notes	p. 201
Principles and Problems of Democratic Institutions	p. 205
Equality and Legislative Representation	p. 206
Notes	p. 240
Interest Groups and Political Parties as Institutions of Deliberation	p. 243
Notes	p. 262
Equality in the Process of Social Deliberation	p. 265
Notes	p. 295
Selected Bibliography	p. 299
About the Book and Author	p. 305
Index	p. 307
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