Political equality : an essay in democratic theory / Charles R. Beitz.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Beitz, Charles R.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Equality.

Democracy.

Physical Description:

xviii, 253 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press, [1989]

Summary:

Nearly everyone believes that democratic institutions should treat their citizens as equals. But it is not clear what political equality means, or why we should care about it, so it is uncertain how it should be embodied in institutions. Charles Beitz seeks to answer both sets of questions -- philosophical ones about the meaning and grounds of political equality, and practical ones about how our institutions should conform to it. Deeply entwined with our political history and with the tradition of democratic reform we inherit from the English revolution of the seventeenth century, the idea of political equality is more than the simple notion that the political system should give each citizen equal voting power. The aim of this book is to provide the concept with a philsophical interpretation adequate to its history and moral importance.

The first half of the work distinguishes and criticizes several views of political equality prominent in democratic theory and presents an innovative theory of political equality based on the idea of a social contract. In the second half Beitz applies the theory to several controversial contemporary problems of institutional reform, including problems about fair representation, ballot access, party governance, and campaign finance.

Contents:

1 The Subject of Political Equality 3

Part 1 Theory

2 Results 31

3 Preferences 49

4 Procedures 75

5 A Theory of Political Fairness 97

Part 2 Applications

6 Proportional Representation 123

7 Fair Representation and Legislative Distrcting 141

8 The Formation of the Political Agenda 164

9 Political Finance 192

10 Substance and Method 217.

Notes:

Includes index.

Bibliography: pages [231]-243.

ISBN:

0691077916

0691022712

OCLC:

18521222