Fundamental democracy

This item is sold brand new. It is ordered on demand from our supplier and is usually dispatched within 7 - 13 working days Most people believe democracy is a uniquely just form of government. They believe people have the right to an equal share of political power. And they believe that political participation is good for us-it empowers us, helps us get what we want, and tends to make us smarter, more virtuous, and more caring for one another. These are some of our most cherished ideas about democracy. But, Jason Brennan says, they are all wrong.In this trenchant book, Brennan argues that democracy should be judged by its results-and the results are not good enough. Just as defendants have a right to a fair trial, citizens have a right to competent government. But democracy is the rule of the ignorant and the irrational, and it all too often falls short. Furthermore, no one has a fundamental right to any share of political power, and exercising political power does most of us little good. On the contrary, a wide range of social science research shows that political participation and democratic deliberation actually tend to make people worse-more irrational, biased, and mean. Given this grim picture, Brennan argues that a new system of government-epistocracy, the rule of the knowledgeable-may be better than democracy, and that it's time to experiment and find out.A challenging critique of democracy and the first sustained defense of the rule of the knowledgeable, Against Democracy is essential reading for scholars and students of politics across the disciplines. Features Summary The description for this book, Against Democracy, will be forthcoming. Author Jason Brennan Publisher Princeton University Press Release date 20160912 Pages 304 ISBN 0-691-16260-3 ISBN 13 978-0-691-16260-7

This item is sold brand new. It is ordered on demand from our supplier and is usually dispatched within 7 - 11 working days Liberal democracy is in crisis around the world, besieged by authoritarianism, nationalism, and other illiberal forces. Far-right parties are gaining traction in Europe, Vladimir Putin tightens his grip on Russia and undermines democracy abroad, and America struggles with poisonous threats from the right and left. But the defenders of democracy are strong too. Taking their cues from the 1788 Federalist Papers, the Renew Democracy Initiative is a collective of pro-democracy advocates from across the political spectrum, including Anne Applebaum, Garry Kasparov, Max Boot, Bret Stephens, Ted Koppel, and Natan Sharansky. This book is their foundational document, a collection of essays that analyze the multi-pronged threats to liberal democracy in the U.S. and abroad, and offer solutions based on fundamental democratic principles such as freedom of speech, a free press, and the rule of law. Fight for Liberty is a roadmap for the struggle against the rising tide of extremism and a cri de coeur in defense of the liberal world order, which sees itself threatened as never before today. ABOUT THE AUTHOR The Renew Democracy Initiative is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the defense of democratic freedom and prosperity. Championing the values on which the free world was built, RDI seeks to unite the center-left and center-right by making the case for liberty, democracy and sanity in an age of discord. RDI aims to generate fresh thinking by convening the best minds from different countries in the service of liberty and democracy in the West and around the world. Features Summary Anne Applebaum, Garry Kasparov, Richard North Patterson, and a constellation of other thinkers make the urgent case for liberal democracy---reinvigorating its central values in an age of doubt and discord. Author Mark Lasswell (Author), Jon Meacham (Introduction by) Publisher PublicAffairs,U.S. Release date 20181015 Pages 320 ISBN 1-5417-2416-X ISBN 13 978-1-5417-2416-7

This item is sold brand new. It is ordered on demand from our supplier and is usually dispatched within 24 hours What are the political roots of South Africa's truth and reconciliation commission (TRC)? By what means did the Commission endeavor to understand South Africa's violent past and promote a spirit of national unity? Did the commission's acclaimed and controversial efforts help South Africans to walk the bridge from apartheid to nonracial democracy? This groundbreaking volume provides an explicit and often startling view of the Truth and reconciliation commission. In the name of understanding the commission's development, work, and findings, it features a rich variety of materials, including many selections from the TRC's archive of testimony and its Final Report that have yet to receive significant public scrutiny. These fundamental documents challenge conventional accounts of the Commission. They also shed light on how the Commission undertook a public process of history-making, attempted to deal with the past in a manner that gave voice to experiences long silenced, endeavoured to expose the violence of apartheid and the excesses of struggle, and demonstrated the political necessity of repairing a crime against humanity. For both citizen and student, this volume affords an opportunity to grapple with the difficult concepts of truth and reconciliation in South Africa and a chance to reflect on why these two simple words have challenged international preconceptions about the power and potential of African politics. Features Summary What are the political roots of South Africa's truth and reconciliation commission (TRC)? By what means did the Commission endeavor to understand South Africa's violent past and promote a spirit of national unity? Author Erik Doxtader (Editor), Philippe-Joseph Salazar (Editor) Publisher David Philip Publishers Release date 20070930 Pages 478 ISBN 0-86486-707-7 ISBN 13 978-0-86486-707-0

The 1996 Constitution gives legal effect to a remarkable historical achievement - an agreement to bring to an end a long history of inequality and oppression and to create a new society by means of a political order based on the principles of constitutional supremacy, democracy and respect for human rights. It has revolutionised the field of constitutional and administrative law in South Africa. Published in two volumes, the successor to the highly acclaimed Boulle Harris & Hoexter Constitutional & Administrative Law, is designed for the use of law students in their first courses on constitutional and administrative law. Throughout, the book is con cerned with context - the historical, political and social developments that have made the new constitutional and administrative law such an extraordinarily interesting field of study. Volume 1: Constitutional Law contains an introduction to constitutional law and an account of the historical origins of the 1966 Constitution. It deals comprehensively with the structure of government established by the Constitution and with the fundamental principles on which the new constitutional law is based.;Volume 1 also contains an introduction to the Bill of Rights.

Softcover. English. Beacon Press. 2002. ISBN: 9780807043295. 155pp. Good condition in softcover, but some sections have pen lines next to them. After the terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center, American flags appeared everywhere. Is patriotism a good response at a time of national crisis? What does it mean for us to think of ourselves as a nation first? With our connections to the world growing stronger and more vital than ever, Martha C. Nussbaum argues that we should distrust conventional patriotism as parochial and instead see ourselves first of all as 'citizens of the world.' Sixteen prominent writers and thinkers respond, including Benjamin R. Barber, Sissela Bok, Nathan Glazer, Robert Pinsky, Elaine Scarry, Amartya Sen, and Michael Walzer. NEW DEMOCRACY FORUM A series of short paperback originals exploring creative solutions to our most urgent national concerns. The series editors (for Boston Review), Joshua Cohen and Joel Rogers, aim to foster politically engaged, intellectually honest, and morally serious debate about fundamental issues-both on and off the agenda of conventional politics. Book No: 48273

Paperback. English. Portobello. 2006. 386pp. In fair condition. As a former star reporter for NPR, Sarah Chayes developed a devoted listenership for her on-site reports on conflicts around the world. In The Punishment of Virtue, she reveals the misguided U.S. policy in Afghanistan in the wake of the defeat of the Taliban, which has severely undermined the effort to build democracy and allowed corrupt tribal warlords back into positions of power and the Taliban to re-infiltrate the country. This is an eyeopening chronicle that highlights the often infuriating realities of a vital front in the war on terror, exposing deeper, fundamental problems with current U.S. strategy. Book No: