What is democracy? How can it be defended and justified? How do we understand the complexities of democracy in a world of rapid change?

At a time when democracy appears to be universally acclaimed as the only acceptable form of government, it is all the more necessary to be clear about what democracy means. "Democracy: A Reader" provides a range of pivotal statements on this important topic from supporters and defenders as well as critics and skeptics, including Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Rousseau, de Tocqueville, Kant, Wollstonecraft, Schumpeter, Berlin, Marx, Lenin, Phillips, Young, Dahl, Kymlicka, Parekh, Walzer, Hayek, Habermas, Scruton, Barry, and Mouffe.

Key topics include:

Freedom and autonomy

Equality

Representation

Majority rule

Citizenship

Marxist and socialist critiques

Conservative, elitist, and authoritarian critiques

Feminist critiques

Civil society

The market

Nationalism

Multiculturalism

Non-Western perspectives

The future of democracy

Within the space of one volume this comprehensive coverage provides a genuine "handbook" to help citizens of democratic societies understand the ideals underpinning their societies, the ways their societies can live up to the democratic ideals they proclaim, and the obstacles that lie in the path of democracy today.

What is democracy? How can it be defended and justified? How do we understand the complexities of democracy in a world of rapid change?

At a time when democracy appears to be universally acclaimed as the only acceptable form of government, it is all the more necessary to be clear about what democracy means. "Democracy: A Reader" provides a range of pivotal statements on this important topic from supporters and defenders as well as critics and skeptics, including Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Rousseau, de Tocqueville, Kant, Wollstonecraft, Schumpeter, Berlin, Marx, Lenin, Phillips, Young, Dahl, Kymlicka, Parekh, Walzer, Hayek, Habermas, Scruton, Barry, and Mouffe.

Key topics include:

Freedom and autonomy

Equality

Representation

Majority rule

Citizenship

Marxist and socialist critiques

Conservative, elitist, and authoritarian critiques

Feminist critiques

Civil society

The market

Nationalism

Multiculturalism

Non-Western perspectives

The future of democracy

Within the space of one volume this comprehensive coverage provides a genuine "handbook" to help citizens of democratic societies understand the ideals underpinning their societies, the ways their societies can live up to the democratic ideals they proclaim, and the obstacles that lie in the path of democracy today.

Specially compiled for students, this invaluable reader gathers key statements from political thinkers, explained and contextualised with editorial commentaries. Arranged into four sections - Traditional Affirmations of Democracy, Key Concepts, Critiques of Democracy and Contemporary Issues it covers democratic thinking in a remarkably broad way. New for this edition: Substantially updated to reflect the changing circumstances of democracy in our modern, interconnected and conflict-ridden world. Contains a new introduction and 29 new readings published since the first edition. New sections on globalisation, religion, information technology and violence.