Democratization by Laurence Whitehead

Democratization by Laurence Whitehead

Democratization has swept the globe over the past generation, and analysts and policy makers have been struggling to keep up. Bookshelves have been filled with case studies and assessments of this kaleidoscope of experiences, and a related scholarly community has developed seeking to systematize all this material in accordance with well-defined schemas and causal models. But experience keeps wrong-footing the country analysts, so in this fresh interpretation the author goes back to foundational issues. He argues that democratization is best understood as a complex, long-term, dynamic, and open-ended process extending over generations. Standard models of causal explanation need to be supplemented by more interpretative approaches. Basic questions of citizen security, the nature of public accountability and the role of money as a source of political power need reconsideration. The delicate balance between monetary authority and democratic consent is also examined in the light of the financial crises that have afflicted so many new democracies. This book proposes a range of new perspectives on the complex linkages between democratization and state formation, on the logic of paired comparisons and comparisons between large regions of the world and on the relationship between democratic ideals and 'really existing' democratic outcomes. It aims to equip those caught up in democratization and democracy promotion with a more realistic understanding of the tensions and turbulence involved.

For the postgraduate and the academic, Professor Whitehead's original perspectives will certainly provide ample food for thought* Democratization *
The chapters cover most of the issues one would expect in such a book, together with less expected ones such as corruption and monetary authority. * Democratization *
... a valuable contribution for the understanding of this academic discussion. s
Whitehead writes in a thoughtful and often illuminating way. * Times Higher Education Supplement *

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780199253289
ISBN 10	0199253285
Title	Democratization
Author	Laurence Whitehead
Series	Oxford Studies In Democratization
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Oxford University Press
Year published	2002-07-04
Number of pages	312
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.