Concepts and Theories of Modern Democracy

ISBN-13: 9780415414623 / Angielski / Twarda / 2007 / 320 str.

Anthony H. Birch

Opis

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.

Spis treści

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 

O autorze

Anthony H. Birch is Emeritus Professor at the University of Victoria, Canada.  He has London degrees and pursued postdoctoral studies at Harvard and the University of Chicago.  He has taught political science at universities in England, the United States, Australia and Canada, has published eight books and numerous articles, has served for three years as Vice-President of the International Political Science Association and is Fellow of the Royal Society in Canada.