The Making and Unmaking of Democracy

The Making and Unmaking of Democracy brings together a number of eminent authorities on democracy from the fields of political science and history to take on the most widely debated topics in international relations: the promotion of democracy. Spanning political thought from ancient Athens to contemporary Sub-Saharan Africa, the contributors attempt to develop an outline of how democracy develops (or erodes). Over the course of the discussion, a number of important factors emerge: Democratic transitions are always heavily shaped by the ideas and practises of past regimes (like tribal traditions in Africa), international political and economic pressure to liberalize (as in Asia), and current economic conditions (stability helps, inequality hinders). The quality of democracy in a democratic country is almost always improved by the elimination of religion as the centre of the state, by the move from democracy as protection of the individual from the state to democracy as enhancer of rights, and by the progression from a focus on the individual to a focus on the community.Expansive and provocative for any student of democracy, The Making and Unmaking of Democracy is a volume to learn from, urge against, or expand upon.

"Everyone who argues about democracy needs to read this compelling book. It illuminates all of the key debates. It sparkles with intensity. It shows how democracy evolved. It assesses weaknesses and strengths. It compares the globe's different versions of democratic practice. It is a defining primer of theory and reality." -- Robert I. Rotberg, Harvard University

Theodore K. Rabb is Professor of History at Princeton University. He is the founder and coeditor of TheJournal of Inter-Disciplinary History He the author or editor of more than a dozen books and contributes book reviews to the TLS, The New York Review of Books,Commentary, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. He is the founder and coeditor of The Journal ofInter-Disciplinary History and has served as an advisor for numerous PBS documentaries. Ezra N. Suleiman is IBM Professor in International Studies and Professor of Politics at Princeton University, where he also directs the Committee for European Studies. He serves on the editorial committee of Comparative Politics, and is the author of twelve books.

Brings together a number of eminent authorities on democracy from the fields of political science and history to take on the most widely debated topics in international relations: the promotion of democracy. Spanning political thought from ancient Athens to contemporary Sub-Saharan Africa, the contributors attempt to develop an outline of how democracy develops (or erodes). Over the course of the discussion, a number of important factors emerge: Democratic transitions are always heavily shaped by the ideas and practises of past regimes (like tribal traditions in Africa), international political and economic pressure to liberalize (as in Asia), and current economic conditions (stability helps, inequality hinders). The quality of democracy in a democratic country is almost always improved by the elimination of religion as the centre of the state, by the move from democracy as protection of the individual from the state to democracy as enhancer of rights, and by the progression from a focus on the individual to a focus on the community. Expansive and provocative for any student of democracy, The Making and Unmaking of Democracy is a book to learn from, urge against, or expand upon.

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