DEMOCRACY (Third Edition)

Book Details

• Publisher: Rawat Publications

• Author: Anthony Arblaster

• Language: English

• Cover: Paperback

• ISBN: 9788131611159

• Pages: 127

• Sale Territory: Indiua

About the Book

In Democracy, Anthony Arblaster offers a thorough examination of both the theory and practice of democracy, shedding light on the fierce opposition it has often faced. He traces the evolution of democracy, noting that for much of history, democracy was primarily understood as direct democracy, where the people governed themselves through active participation in decision-making processes. The representative form of democracy, which is common today, is a relatively recent development.

Arblaster identifies the core of democracy in the idea of popular power and dedicates the second part of the book to exploring its meaning and the challenges it presents. Drawing from the works of seminal thinkers such as Rousseau, Paine, and John Stuart Mill, he highlights the vast gap between their vision of a fully democratic society and the limited realities of modern Western democracies. Despite these limitations, Arblaster argues that democracy remains a vital and relevant ideal, offering a significant challenge to conventional political thinking.

The first edition of Democracy was praised for its engaging and thought-provoking approach. It was lauded as stimulating for beginning students and unsettling for seasoned scholars, making it an ideal introduction to the study of democracy. This revised second edition has been expanded to address key political changes, notably the collapse of European communism. The book remains accessible to both students and the general reader, offering insights into democracy's complex evolution and its continuing relevance.