Can Democracy Work?: A Short History of a Radical Idea, from Ancient Athens to Our World
Oct 2018 · Simon and Schuster
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320
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About this ebook
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?
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?
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 –...
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2 reviews
L M
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January 10, 2022
Still reading but just wanted to post that the format of the Walt Whitman quote in the Google books app is almost illegible. someone get on that!
About the author
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.
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.
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