Overview

Re-examines the history of democracy, broadening the traditional view with previously unexplored examples This substantial reference work critically re-examines the history of democracy, from ancient history to possible directions it may take in the future. 44 chapters explore the origins of democracy and explore new – and sometimes surprising – examples from around the world. Each of the 9 parts introduces the period, followed by 3 to 7 case studies. The first book to study lesser-known histories of democracy alongside familiar examples Includes historical accounts from leading scholars that document the development of democratic practices in their area or epoch of interest Contributors include Jack Goody, John Keane, Larbi Sadiki, James Anderson, John Fisher and Seymour Drescher Examples include ancient India, medieval Venetia, Native America, Iraqis, ancient Athens, Women's Suffrage and the Anti-Apartheid movement

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9780748640751

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Reviews

This celebration of democracy's big tent explores a wide range of historical societies that might be seen as manifesting democratic tendencies or proto-democratic institutions, probes the successes and failures of recent democratic movements and interrogates the future of citizen government.--Josiah Ober, Stanford University A learned and powerful corrective to the conventional wisdom that democracy has specifically Western roots. The editors and contributors authoritatively demonstrate, rather, that the will of the people, citizen engagement and the rule of law have cut across very different cultural and historical trajectories. In so doing they reveal the complexity of democratic ideas and counter the facile and self-satisfied assumptions that have long characterised their study.--James Piscatori, Durham University

Author Information

Benjamin Isakhan is Research Fellow in the Centre for Comparative Social Research at Deakin University. Stephen Stockwell is Professor of Journalism and Communication in the School of Humanities at Griffith University, Australia.

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