The people's government : an introduction to democracy / Del Dickson, University of San Diego.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Dickson, Del.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Democracy.

Liberty.

Democracy--United States.

United States.

United States--Politics and government.

Politics and government.

Physical Description:

xi, 268 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Cambridge University Press, 2014.

Summary:

"The People's Government is premised on the idea that democracy is based on two fundamental rights: freedom and liberty. Many believe these rights are synonymous, but they are actually complementary opposites. Liberty is the right to be left alone, while freedom is the right to participate in a political community. How people view democracy depends on which of these two rights they think is more important. Liberal democrats place a higher value on liberty, while free democrats see freedom as the primary right. From this starting point, the author adds five dimensions to define and distinguish democratic societies: rights, participation and representation, inclusion, equality, and power. Liberal democracies emphasize individualism, negative rights, representative government, inclusive citizenship, equal opportunity, and limited government. Free democracies stress community, positive rights, direct participation, exclusive citizenship, equal outcomes, and robust government. The book examines the most important arguments for and against democracy, and explores the life cycle of democracies - how countries democratize, mature, and fail. Finally, the author uses the five dimensions established earlier to evaluate and grade American democracy"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Machine generated contents note: 1. Liberty and freedom; 2. Freedom or liberty?; 3. Rights; 4. Participation and representation; 5. Inclusion; 6. Equality; 7. Power; 8. The case against democracy; 9. The case for democracy; 10. Paths of democratization; 11. Building a stable democracy; 12. Three misconceptions about democratization; 13. How democracies die; 14. How democratic is the United States?.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781107043879

1107043875

9781107619555

1107619556

OCLC:

873723693

Online:

Cover image