The Democratic Imagination

The future of democracy is an open question in the early twenty-first century. Declining voter participation in traditional democracies suggests potential failure. At the same time, new movements for democracy are appearing around the world. The Democratic Imaginationexamines different conceptions of democracy, exploring tensions that emerge in key moments and debates in the history of democracy, from Ancient Greece to the French Revolution to contemporary Egypt. In an engaging and personal style, Cairns and Sears explore the relationship between 'official democracy,' conceived as a set of institutional arrangements with an electoral component, and 'democracy from below,' in which the vast majority actively participate in decision-making in all areas of daily life. The result is a unique book that is sure to expand and challenge the reader's democratic imagination.