Degenerations of Democracy

Many scholars have traced the crisis of Western liberal democracy to the rise of authoritarian and populist leaders. Three distinguished theorists argue that the problems run deeper…Wealth inequality and economic stagnation have exacerbated political divisions, but the bigger problem is the fraying of the civic solidarity that knits citizens together across lines of difference. -- G. John Ikenberry * Foreign Affairs *
[The authors] set out to dissect in detail the long-term degenerations of the democratic structures that have occurred in three major democratic countries: the United States, Canada and India…Stimulating and refreshing. -- Simone Benazzo * Democratization *
Democracies around the world are in crisis. This important book by three social theorists…analyzes the underlying causes of these interrelated crises, focusing mostly on the United States, Europe, and India…At stake are the quality of public life, social institutions, and, in many cases, people’s lives. -- Don Schweitzer * Critical Theology *
Written by three world-class thinkers, the book provides a fresh and well-argued diagnosis of what must be done to save democracy from itself. No other book can offer something remotely similar to what this book has to offer in terms of historical detail, conceptual argument, moral outlook, and political acuity. -- Lars Tønder, University of Copenhagen
Democracy in the twenty-first century is degenerating from within rather than being attacked externally as was totalitarianism. We consequently need to reinvent it, not just preserve it. This book defines the task ahead of us. Written by three key figures of political philosophy and social theory, it makes a conceptually powerful contribution to the rebuilding of democracy at a time when the sovereignty of the people and the promise of equality are understood in a trivializing way by populist governments and neoliberal regimes. -- Pierre Rosanvallon, author of Good Government: Democracy beyond Elections
Questions about what ails democracy today get a new lease on life in this captivating book. Calhoun, Gaonkar, and Taylor blend their voices well to produce a series of deep and insightful reflections remarkable for their combination of lucid prose, critical diagnoses, reasoned optimism, and perspectives that are strikingly fresh. A must-read for all students of contemporary politics. -- Dipesh Chakrabarty, author of The Climate of History in a Planetary Age