Achieving Democracy: Democratization in Theory and Practice

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Democracy is the ability to participate freely and equally in the political and economic affairs of the country. Americans have relied on philosophical pragmatism and on the impulse of political progressivism to express those creedal democratic values. Achieving Democracy argues that, in the last 30 years, however, by focusing on free markets and small government, America has since lost its grasp on these crucial democratic values. Economically, the vast majority of Americans have been made worse off due to a historically unprecedented redistribution of wealth from the lower and middle classes to the top one percent. Politically, partisan gridlock has hampered efforts to seek fairer taxes, responsive and effective regulation, reliable health care, and better education, among other needs. Achieving Democracy critiques the history of the last 30 years of neoliberal government in the United States, and enables an understanding of the dynamic and changing nature of contemporary government and the future of the regulatory state. Sidney A. Shapiro and Joseph P. Tomain demonstrate how lessons from the past can be applied today to regain essential democratic losses within the successful framework of a progressive government to ultimately construct a good society for all citizens.

Reviews

"Achieving Democracy provides undergraduate students with all the elements needed to think about the various aspects of democratization around the world. The volume explores processes of democratization in the first, second and third waves as well as current debates on democracy promotion. This book challenges students to test theories of democratization, thus asking them to take a proactive role vis-a-vis one of the most important topics of our times. Strongly recommended."- Ariel C. Armony, Director, Center for Latin American Studies and Weeks Professor in Latin American Studies Professor of International Studies, University of Miami, USA.
"Achieving Democracy examines democracy historically so that readers understand how its definition and practice have evolved over time. It offers carefully selected case studies of democracy and valuable pedagogical aids, such as hypothesis testing exercises and discussion questions at the end of each section." - Christine A. Gustafson, Department of Politics, Saint Anselm College, USA.
"Achieving Democracy gives students a clear and lively introduction to theories of democratization and the conceptual tools they need both to understand and to challenge those theories. At a time when the politics of democratization continue to surprise us, it will provide a valuable resource for students and teachers alike." -Michael Goodhart, University of Pittsburgh, USA.

Author Bio

Dr. Malone is Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of New Hampshire where she teaches classes on democratization, comparative politics, and Latin American politics. Her research focuses on a crucial component of democratization: establishing the rule of law.