{"product_id":"9780691177465","title":"The Decline and Rise of Democracy","description":"Author: David Stasavage\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 9780691177465\u003cbr\u003ePublisher: Princeton University Press\u003cbr\u003eYear first published: 11 Aug 2020\u003cbr\u003ePages: 424\u003cbr\u003eFormat: Hardback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eOne of BBC History Magazine\u0026amp;#x27;s Best Books of 2020\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHistorical accounts of democracy's rise tend to focus on ancient Greece and pre-Renaissance Europe. \u003ci\u003eThe Decline and Rise of Democracy\u003c\/i\u003e draws from global evidence to show that the story is much richer - democratic practices were present in many places, at many other times, from the Americas before European conquest, to ancient Mesopotamia, to precolonial Africa. Delving into the prevalence of early democracy throughout the world, David Stasavage makes the case that understanding how and where these democracies flourished-and when and why they declined-can provide crucial information not just about the history of governance, but also about the ways modern democracies work and where they could manifest in the future.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDrawing from examples spanning several millennia, Stasavage first considers why states developed either democratic or autocratic styles of governance and argues that early democracy tended to develop in small places with a weak state and, counterintuitively, simple technologies. When central state institutions (such as a tax bureaucracy) were absent - as in medieval Europe - rulers needed consent from their populace to govern. When central institutions were strong - as in China or the Middle East - consent was less necessary and autocracy more likely. He then explores the transition from early to modern democracy, which first took shape in England and then the United States, illustrating that modern democracy arose as an effort to combine popular control with a strong state over a large territory. Democracy has been an experiment that has unfolded over time and across the world-and its transformation is ongoing.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAmidst rising democratic anxieties,\u003ci\u003e The Decline and Rise of Democracy \u003c\/i\u003ewidens the historical lens on the growth of political institutions and offers surprising lessons for all who care about governance.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u0026amp;#x27;One of the most important books on political regimes written in a generation.\u0026amp;#x27; - Steven Levitsky,\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003ebestselling author of\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eHow Democracies Die\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u0026amp;#x27;A bracing stringency is one of the virtues of \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Decline and Rise of Democracy.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e It sweeps across the globe in command of recent scholarship. . . . It shows how complex democracy's patterns are and, on the evidence, how simpler accounts of its past and prospects stumble.\u0026amp;#x27; - \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Economist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u0026amp;#x27;An outstanding volume that analyses the development of democracy and autocracy in a refreshing and relevant way.\u0026amp;#x27; - Simon Sebag Montefiore,\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e BBC History Magazine \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u0026amp;#x27;Democracy is a naturally occurring condition in humanity societies. This single idea sets Stasavage apart from so many theorists who look to the past.\u0026amp;#x27; - Justin Kempf, \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eDemocracy Paradox\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ships in 10 to 15 days","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46798840037534,"sku":"ADS-9780691177465","price":62.78,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0400\/9043\/5742\/files\/9780691177465.jpg?v=1778120752","url":"https:\/\/classicbargains.com.au\/products\/9780691177465","provider":"Classic Bargains Australia","version":"1.0","type":"link"}