Theories of Democracy: A Critical Introduction

Theories of Democracyis a comprehensive and accessible introduction to the main theories of democracy. Chapters are devoted to liberal democracy, classic pluralism, participatory democracy, catallaxy, democratic pragmatism, deliberative democracy and radical pluralism. Frank Cunningham assesses how these theories meet long-standing problems thought to beset democracy in practice: that democracy permits majorities to tyrannize minorities; that it is inefficient, unreliable and incoherent way of making collective decisions; that it invites conflict; and that it can be taken advantage of by demagogies or a mask systemic oppression. Cunningham also summarizes the views of famous forerunners of current democratic theory: Aristotle, de Tocqueville, Rousseau, Mill, Dewey and Schumpeter. A concluding chapter uses the example of globalization to show how the theories are concretely applied and notes their strengths and weaknesses in coping with globalization. The book also contains three helpful discussionsections that concentrate on the recurrent themes of the relation of liberal democracy to capitalism, the concept of democratic representation and the value of democracy.