The Secret History of Democracy

by Isakhan, Benjamin; Stockwell, Stephen

• ISBN13: 9780230375109
• ISBN10: 0230375103
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-05-15
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Summary

Could democracy have a "secret" history? Most of us are familiar with a history of democracy that emphasizes the keystone moments in the story of Western civilization: the achievements of the ancient Greeks and Romans, the more recent development of the British parliament, the American Declaration of Independence and the French Revolution, and the gradual global spread of democracy since the end of the Cold War. The central argument of this book is that there is much more to the history of democracy than this standard history admits. There is a whole "secret" history, too big, complex and insufficiently 'Western' in character to be included in common accounts. In exploring The Secret History of Democracy, the contributors establish that democracy was developing in the Middle East, India and China before classical Athens, clung on during the "Dark Ages" in Islam, Iceland and Venice, was often part of tribal life in Africa, North America and Australia, and has developed in unexpected ways through the grassroots activism of Muslims, feminists and technophiles.

Author Biography

BENJAMIN ISAKHAN is Research Fellowat the Centre for Dialogue, La Trobe University, Australia. He is the author of several publications including Democracy in Iraq: History, Politics and Discourse (2010).

STEPHEN STOCKWELLis Professor of Journalism and Communication at Griffith University's Gold Coast campus, Australia. He was previously a journalist with 4ZZZ, TripleJ and Four Corners and a political campaign media consultant. He is author of All-Media Guide to Cross-Cultural Reporting (with Paul Scott) and Political Campaign Strategy (2005).

Table of Contents

"The thought-provoking essays gathered in The Secret History of Democracy provide convincing evidence that democratic mechanisms have been invented many times and in many places, including times and places neglected in common accounts. This collection is a sobering reminder that democratic practices have often been succeeded by something else. But one also takes away a sense of the dynamic character of democratic history and the endless diversity of practices with some reasonable claim to embody democratic principles. As growing numbers wonder about what sorts of political institutions make sense in the face of the enormous problems confronting the twenty-first century, this demonstration of the long human history of political creativity gives some reason for hope." - John Markoff, Professor, University of Pittsburgh