Reviews (3)

A Most Important Book
Derived from a series of lectures Dewey gave in 1927, The Public and Its Problems touches on virtually all the major political philosophy questions of our day. One marvels at its continued relevance into the 21st Century. Dewey, arguably the United States' greatest thinker, does an amazing job in sifting through the problems contemporary society faces when forming a polity. Ambiguous
It was a good treatise yet after reading this, I wonder what it was that i just read. The book will be remembered for its isolated ingenius points rather than a book as a whole. I read this for a class.

Ambiguous
It was a good treatise yet after reading this, I wonder what it was that i just read. The book will be remembered for its isolated ingenius points rather than a book as a whole. I read this for a class. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Democracy    2. General    3. Philosophy    4. Political Ideologies - Democracy    5. Political science    6. Psychology    7. Social Psychology    8. State, The    9. Psychology & Psychiatry / Social Psychology    10. Sociology, Social Studies   

Subjects:  1. Civil society    2. Current Affairs    3. Democracy    4. International Relations - General    5. Political    6. Political Ideologies - Democracy    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Social capital (Sociology)    10. Sociology - General    11. Political structures: democracy    12. Social Science / Sociology / General    13. Social theory    14. Sociology | Social Stratification   

Subjects:  1. Democracy    2. History & Theory    3. History & Theory - General    4. Political Ideologies - Democracy    5. Politics - Current Events    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Politics/International Relations    8. Representative government and    9. Representative government and representation    10. Business & Economics / Management    11. Political structures: democracy   

Reviews (1)

A real man speaks out
Gupta talks straight, and he isn't afraid of the truth. This is tough-thinking stuff, and we need it. But at $130 a go, can we afford it? ... Read more

Subjects:  1. History & Theory - General    2. International Relations - General    3. Political Ideologies - Democracy    4. Political Science    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Politics/International Relations    7. International relations    8. Iraq    9. Political structures: democracy   

Reviews (1)

Pericles Redux
If you were designing a political system from scratch, what decision-making procedures would you enshrine to guarantee fair and efficient outcomes? According to Jon Elster, all possible procedures are permutations of three ideal types: arguing, bargaining and voting. Read more

Subjects:  1. Decision making    2. Democracy    3. Government - U.S. Government    4. History & Theory - General    5. Political Ideologies - Democracy    6. Political Science    7. Politics - Current Events    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Politics/International Relations    10. Representative government and    11. Representative government and representation    12. Political Science / History & Theory    13. Political science & theory    14. Political structures: democracy   

Subjects:  1. 1980-    2. Democracy    3. Latin America    4. Political Ideologies - Democracy    5. Political Process - General    6. Political Science    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics and government    9. Politics/International Relations    10. Argentina    11. Brazil    12. Chile    13. Colombia    14. Mexico    15. Peru    16. Philosophy / General    17. Political structures: democracy    18. Venezuela   

Reviews (30)

An examination of American ideology in light of American history, and vice-versa
Revisionist historian Howard Zinn, most well known for his monumental People's History of the United States, here turns his crystal-clear lens of historical criticism to the cherished myths of American politics.After first defining "American ideology" as "a dominant pattern of ideas" in whose company belong such notions as "democracy," "national security," "free press," etc., Zinn proceeds to examine each of these tenets in more detail.
Even The Detractors Make This Book's Case
To date - 2/4/06 - There have been 28 reviews posted about this book and its author (not counting my review nor whatever others may have been removed from this site) since 1999.
A unique look at American history
Howard Zinn has written a highly informative and enjoyable book.He takes on and demolishes some of the most pervasive myths in American history, from the "necessity" of dropping the atomic bombs on Japan to the common but mistaken belief that the First Amendment has protected free speech in America.I highly recommend this book to all readers of American history, regardless of their political persuasion.
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Subjects:  1. History - General History    2. Political Ideologies - Democracy    3. Politics/International Relations    4. United States - General   

Reviews (1)

Excellent Introduction
This is an excellent introduction for someone interested in models of the public sphere.While all the authors are proponents of the deliberative model of democracy (as opposed to, for instance, the liberal,interest-based, technocratic, communitarian, or civic-republican) many ofthem place their arguments in the context of other models.So, the bookreads like a symposium of like-minded people, rather than like a rally oftrue believers.Read more

Subjects:  1. Democracy    2. Ethnicity    3. History & Theory - General    4. Nationalism    5. Political Ideologies - Democracy    6. Political Science    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Social movements    10. Philosophy    11. Political Science / History & Theory    12. Political Science and International Relations    13. Political science & theory    14. Political structures: democracy   

Reviews (29)

Valuable but flawed work
Democracy: The God That Failed, by noted market anarchist Hans-Hermann Hoppe, is a valuable but flawed book. First I'll talk about the valuable, and then about the flaw.
We need more books like this
Dr. Hoppe is one of the best libertarian/anarcho-capitalist writers out there. This book is well argued and well written. More writers should take Hoppe's lead in expanding on the themes here. Even if one finds contention with some of his ideas, largely one is left with a refreshing perspective not found in the usual drivel to be had in the social sciences. Highly recommended and worth having as a reference and an example of how to write well and reason well.
An Anarcho-Capitalist Manifesto.
_Democracy:The God That Failed:The Economics and Politics of Monarchy, Democracy, and Natural Order_ by Hans-Hermann Hoppe is an extremely radical and revisionist book which argues that the state is by definition a priori unjust and therefore must be abolished allowing capitalism free reign.So radical is this book that contrary to even extreme liberalism which advocates an ultra-minimal "night watchman" state to protect private property, here a complete private property anarchy is advocated (or "anarcho-capitalism") where private firms (insurance companies) compete to offer defense.
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Subjects:  1. Economic policy    2. Economics    3. History & Theory - General    4. Monarchy    5. Moral and ethical aspects    6. Political    7. Political Ideologies - Democracy    8. Political Science    9. Political aspects    10. Politics / Current Events    11. Politics/International Relations    12. Public Policy - Economic Policy    13. Political Science / History & Theory    14. Political economy    15. Political structures: democracy   

Reviews (1)

Real clever, perceptive, and pragmatic
Wolfe explains in simple terms the many aspects of modern American politics that weaken, deflect, and encumber our ability to affect or even understand the laws that are being slung at us.Our incredible cynicism about the candor of the media, the ethics of our representation, and the effectiveness of our institutions allows pressure from certain groups to ensure that all of these actually live down to our expectations.Wolfe claims that government is the only thing that is capable of being impartial, and we need to refocus our priority on it.
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Subjects:  1. Democracy    2. Government - U.S. Government    3. Political Ideologies - Democracy    4. Political Process - General    5. Political Science    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Politics and government    8. Politics/International Relations    9. United States    10. Political Science / General    11. Political science & theory    12. USA   

Reviews (3)

Organic food is a human right!
In "Earth Democracy", Indian ecofeminist Vandana Shiva powerfully defends the rights of Third World farmers against agribusiness monopolies, biotechnology and international financial institutions like the WTO, World Bank and IMF. In a brilliant deconstruction of capitalist patriarchy, Shiva explains how market fundamentalism breeds religious fundamentalism and explores the many ways that corporate globalization negatively impacts the lives of low-income women around the world. Importantly, Shiva explains how the colonization of DNA by multinational corporations is an extension of the colonization of Asia, Africa and the Americas by an imperialist white elite. Outlining how the preservation of seed, water and sustainable food systems are a prerequisite for peace and real security, "Earth Democracy" is a timely and informative read for global justice activists interested in alleviating world hunger, healing the environment and creating peace.

A more peaceful and secure future
"Earth Democracy" by Vandana Shiva offers both a masterful critique of globalization and a hopeful vision for a better world. Ms. Shiva compares and contrasts top-down systems of authoritarianism and exclusion with bottom-up systems of egalitarianism and mutual cooperation to discuss how corporate power is proving to be a grave threat to democracy and the long-term viability of the planet. Ms. Shiva contends that a mutually-supportive network of empowered local communities might be able to create a global society that is based on humanitarian principles of peace, compassion and solidarity.
An excellent primer
A well-written discussion of some of the most important issues facing humanity in the 21st Century.The book does, however, jump from topic-to-topic with relatively little deep discussion.Still, "Earth Democracy" is a refreshing change from what passes for "scholarship" in much of the Left-press.On the other hand, being a shorter work does make it more accessible to the neophyte environmentalist who may be unfamiliar with the issues concerned.An excellent primer on the new corporate-ecology facing us all today. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    2. Environmental justice    3. General    4. Nature    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Political Ideologies - Democracy    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Social justice    9. Sustainable development    10. Women's Studies - General    11. Nature / Environmental Conservation & Protection   

Subjects:  1. Democracy    2. Elections    3. History & Theory - General    4. Political Ideologies - Democracy    5. Political Science    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Politics/International Relations    8. Representative government and    9. Representative government and representation    10. Responsibility    11. Political Science / History & Theory    12. Political science & theory    13. Political structures: democracy   

Subjects:  1. Democracy    2. Government - U.S. Government    3. Political Ideologies - Democracy    4. Political Science    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Politics and government    7. Politics/International Relations    8. United States    9. Political Science / General    10. Political structures: democracy    11. USA   

Subjects:  1. General    2. Political Science    3. Politics / Current Events    4. Politics/International Relations    5. Mexico    6. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    7. Political Science / General    8. Political structure & processes   

Reviews (3)

The Open Space of Democracy
Terry Tempest Williams is amazingly articulate. This book while a short, easy read can be read over and over again as her messages can be applied to our everyday life. I bought five copies as this book makes a wonderful gift!

DEEPLY ENGAGING
After interviewing Terry on radio, I am convinced that this gentle soul's strong undercurrent provides us with a rich new model of citizen involvement in this, our participatory government. Too many of us dismiss a deeper involvement in democracy with crusty cynicism - we feel ground down by the backhanded tactics used by government officials to strip us of our civil liberties and rape the earth's environment.
A Masterpiece
I have not read a book in the last ten years that I would give this description to, but The Open Space of Democracy will or at least should go down as an American masterpiece, and a seminal contribution to environmental and political writing.I pre-ordered my copy direct from the publisher and so received and read, or rather devoured, it right after it was published.The triptych of essays in this volume are woven together and inseparable from each other in the way that Aldo Leopold's "Land Ethic" is inseparable from the rest of A Sand County Almanac.
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Subjects:  1. 21st century    2. Democracy    3. Essays    4. General    5. National characteristics, Amer    6. National characteristics, American    7. Philosophy    8. Political Ethics    9. Political Ideologies - Democracy    10. Political Science    11. Politics / Current Events    12. Politics/International Relations    13. Social conditions    14. United States    15. Philosophy / General   

Reviews (2)

A Decent Start
As the previous reviewer suggests, this is a good place to start looking at issues related to the implementation of democratic aid programs. Unfortunately, the book is founded on several unspoken assumptions. The most important of these are a certain blind faith that the governments supporting these programs are truly interested in their success, and, similarly, that the governments being "democratically reformed" are similarly interested... Great overview
This is a wonderful book for anyone interested in the controversial and critical world of democracy promotion.Carothers offers subtle insights into US efforts to promote democracy abroad and elucidates many of thecomplicated dynamics involved.It's the first book I have read that movesbeyond democracy theory to look at the facts of assistance--the politicalagendas, the lack of donor coordination, the difficulty measuring results,etc.I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Democracy    2. Democratization    3. International Relations - General    4. Political Ideologies - Democracy    5. Political Science    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Politics/International Relations    8. Technical assistance    9. Economics    10. International relations    11. Political science & theory    12. Political structures: democracy    13. c 1990 to c 2000   

Reviews (2)

BuildingWelfare States
Building welfare states to secure citizens against the income losses associated with unemployment, sickness and old age has been one of the major projects of government in all rich capitalist democracies in the 20th century. But why have some countries done more than others and done it in such different ways? Alex Hicks' Social Democracy and Welfare Capitalism rivals all of its predecessors in making these large questions both theoretically and empirically tractable. In six core analytical chapters covering six historical periods, Hicks takes us on an intellectual journey that begins with Bismarck (the emergence of welfare states) and ends with the younger Bush (the "crisis" of welfare states). Explaining a Century of Social Policy
In his prodigious Social Democracy and Welfare Capitalism, Alexander Hicks appraises the social democratic thesis through several phases of welfare state development. The result often goes against the conventional wisdom and in compelling ways. Read more

Subjects:  1. Capitalism    2. Corporate state    3. History    4. Political Ideologies - Democracy    5. Political Science    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Politics/International Relations    8. Public Policy - Social Services & Welfare    9. Sociology - Social Theory    10. Welfare economics    11. Welfare state    12. History of specific subjects    13. Political science & theory    14. Social issues    15. Social welfare & social services   

Reviews (2)

Required reading for any US citizen
I saw Benjamin Barber on PBS late July 2004, and checked out this book from the local library. One essay alone "Civic Mission of the University" should be required reading for anyone involved in education; student, parent, teacher, or just taxpayer.
interesting but not always satisfactory
This white male author seems to be unable to contextualize the sufferings and enslavement of Women and Minorities. His self-congratulatory pose as someone who wants "his" country to be better is offensive to those of us on the front lines combatting the patriarchal eurocentricparadigms in this country. Perhaps if he were to better acquaint himselfwith the incredibly courageous writings of bell hooks and Luc Irigaray, hemight better articulate the sufferings of those who have been marginalizedby white males. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Civics & Citizenship    2. Democracy    3. Government - U.S. Government    4. Philosophy    5. Political    6. Political Ideologies - Democracy    7. Politics / Current Events    8. American History    9. Political Philosophy    10. Political Science / Democracy    11. Political Science and International Relations    12. Political structures: democracy    13. USA   

Reviews (1)

INCLUDING DEMOCRACY
After his major work on legal theory (Between Facts and Norms), J�rgen Habermas revisits some of the hottest issues on metaethics, political theory and moral philosophy. The book is nicely divided in five parts.The first is the most specialized one. Habermas offers an excitingcontribution to metaethics. As readers might know, most disputes incontemporary metaethics revolve around the question whether we could find acognitive basis for "first principles" or "values", orwhat is the same, whether there is an objective ground for things likehuman rights and principles like those of liberty and equality. By means ofreflecting on his discursive ethics (the main insight of which is thatstandards of right are to be related to the necessary assumptions which wemake each and every time we enter into discourses concerning practicalquestions, like that all those with which we talk could contributesomething to the issue at stake), Habermas puts forwards a convincing casefor a moderate cognitivism, or what is the same, for an objectivefoundation. This implies moving beyond the relativism characteristic ofmuch liberal thinking. Specialized readers will be interested inconfronting Habermas' argument with that of Alexy, and will find thechapter an expansion of his 1997 article on the Aristotelian SocietyProceedings. The second part contains two chapters, devoted to one of themajor events in contemporary political thinking: the lectures in which JohnRawls (author of the world-known Theory of Justice, second editionpublished in September 1999) and J�rgen Habermas revisited the work of eachother. Habermas stresses the similarities of his and Rawls' theory, butstresses the dialogical conception of his theory of justice, vis a vis themonological character of the well-known Rawlsian original position. Thethird part is an essential reading for all those interested inglobalisation. Habermas offers his insights on the process of Europeanintegration. The articles there included reflect his commitment to thefurther development of the Communities, based both in his own fear of anisolated Germany and his hope for extending solidarity beyondnation-states. Specialized readers will find specially interesting his newinsights on the cement of liberal post-nationalistic societies, whatHabermas himself labeled as "constitutional patriotism". Thefourth part contains Habermas contributions with the occasion of the 200thanniversary of the publication of Kant's pamphlet "Towards PerpetualPeace", a major statement in favor of cosmopolitan democracy. Habermastakes the opportunity to challenge realists, that is, those claiming thatinternational relations are mainly a matter of force and deception (thelike of Carl Schmitt, a favorite target of his criticisms). The fifth andlast part deals with the expanding number of writers who adhere todeliberative democracy as the legitimate political arrangement (like JoshuaCohen and Seyla Benhabib, to quote some names). Habermas makes a niceanalysis of the main trends and implications of this line of argumentation,which basically aims at transcending majoritarian politics and reinforcingthe effective participation of citizens in politics. The Inclusion ofthe Other is especially recommended to all those interested in having ataste of the work of Habermas but who were deterred by the complicatedprose of Continental Philosophers. The book is clearly written and crisplytranslated. Habermas himself supervises the English translation of hisbooks. A colleague from Germany told me that she preferred reading him inEnglish because the texts were always more rich and complete than in theoriginal edition! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. History & Theory - General    2. Philosophy    3. Political    4. Political Ideologies - Democracy    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Philosophy / General    7. Social & political philosophy   

Subjects:  1. General    2. Political Ideologies - Democracy    3. Political Science    4. Politics / Current Events    5. Politics/International Relations    6. Political structures: democracy