The trouble with democracy : political modernity in the 21st century / edited by Gerard Rosich and Peter Wagner.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Rosich, Gerard, editor.

Wagner, Peter, 1956 September 18- editor.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Democracy--21st century.

Democracy.

Physical Description:

ix, 286 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Edinburgh : Edinburgh University Press, [2016]

Summary:

Western political thought has long maintained that democracy, once achieved, is here to stay. This view appears to be confirmed by successive 'waves of democratisation' across the world but, in truth, the political situation of our time is much more ambiguous. On the one hand, the commitment to democracy seems to be more widely shared than ever. On the other, popular will has ever less impact on political decisions because of alleged constraints in an era of 'globalisation': existing democracies suffer from a combination of technocratic governance and populist reactions; and global political communication remains far from adequately addressing urgent problems. The book assesses the political condition of our time by placing it in a long-term historical context. It radically reconsiders key issues of political thought and provides a comparative exploration of current experiences of democracy in several world regions. Key Features, Provides a comprehensive critical analysis of the current state of democracy, reviews the history of political thought by emphasizing tensions and ambiguities from within the commitment to democracy, Suggests that a major political transformation is under way since the 1960s that upsets the expectation of guarantees democratic stability, combines critical theory, political thought and solid empirical analysis, Explicitly addresses the current relationship between North and South and broadens political theory debate about democracy by including experiences from the 'global South', including South Africa, Latin America, Argentina and Brazil. Book jacket.

Contents:

1 Introduction: Re-Interpreting Democracy for Our Time / Gerard Rosich Rosich, Gerard, Peter Wagner Wagner, Peter 1

2 Autonomy in and between Polities: Democracy and the Need for Collective Political Selves / Gerard Rosich Rosich, Gerard 19

3 Rethinking 'Modern' Democracy: Political Modernity and Constituent Power / Andreas Kalyvas Kalyvas, Andreas 50

4 Democratic Surplus and Democracy-in-Failing: On Ancient and Modern Self-Cancellation of Democracy / Nathalie Karagiannis Karagiannis, Nathalie 90

5 Setbacks of Women's Emancipation (Condition, Consequence, Measure and Ruse) / Genevieve Fraisse Fraisse, Genevieve 110

6 Political Modernity, Democracy and State-Society Relations in Latin America: A New Socio-Historical Problématique? / Manuel A. Garretón Garretón, Manuel A. 121

7 Communitarian Cosmopolitanism: Argentina's Recuperated Factories, Neoliberal Globalisation and Democratic Citizenship. An Arendtian Perspective / Carlos A. Forment Forment, Carlos A. 148

8 Middle-Classing in Roodepoort: Unexpected Sites of Post-Apartheid 'Community' / Ivor Chipkin Chipkin, Ivor 185

9 Democracy and Capitalism in Europe, Brazil and South Africa / Peter Wagner Wagner, Peter 212

10 From Realism to Activism: A Critique of Resignation in Political Theory / Lea Ypi Ypi, Lea 231

11 The World as We Find It: A Suggestion for a Democratic Theory for Our Times / Tracy B. Strong Strong, Tracy B. 249

12 Epilogue: Democracy as Capacity for Self-Transformation / Gerard Rosich Rosich, Gerard, Peter Wagner Wagner, Peter 268.

ISBN:

9781474407984

1474407986

OCLC:

936302852