Concepts & Theories of Modern Democracy

This highly acclaimed and popular academic text is now available in a new edition, having been revised and updated to cover the analyses of the use, abuse and ambiguity of many essential concepts used in political discourse and political studies. These include basic concepts such as liberty, democracy, rights, representation, authority and political power.

New to this edition are three sections of great topical interest:

    entirely original analysis of global terrorism, which puts the recent developments of Islamic terrorism into perspective by comparing it with earlier examples of terrorist tactics by a variety of state agencies, revolutionary groups and minority nationalist movements

    extended discussion on multiculturalism, which supplements theoretical arguments with succinct summaries of the differing ways in which ethnic and cultural minorities have been dealt with in Canada, Britain, France and the Netherlands

    section on democratization that focuses on the problems, social and political and even theological, involved in turning authoritarian regimes into stable democracies in the Middle East and elsewhere.

Concepts and Theories of Modern Democracy is a stimulating guide to current world problems as well as essential reading for foundation courses at first or second year level such as elements of politics, political concepts and ideas and fundamentals in politics.

 

1. Introduction Part 1: Authority in the Modern State 2. Nationalism and the National State 3. Ethnic Cleavages, Multiculturalism and the National State 4. Globalization and the National State 5. Global Terrorism 6. Political Authority and Legitimacy Part 2: The Democratic State and the Citizen 7. Democracy 8. Political Representation 9. Political Participation 10. Liberty and Freedom 11. Rights Part 3: Political Power and Policy Making 12. Political Power 13. Pluralism 14. Elitism & Class Dominance 15. Corporatism Part 4: Styles of Political Analysis 16. Towards a Science of Politics: Positivism, Behaviouralism and Economic Models 17. Against a Science of Politics: Values, Historicism and Hermeutics