American Democracy - (Political Philosophy and Public Purpose) by P Green (Hardcover)

About the Book

"These essays spanning a period of four decades all belong to the political science subfield of "democratic theory." Though published independently, mostly in professional journals, they make a connected argument against minimalist versions of "democracy." The first group of essays, on the work of various contempoary political theorists, analyze the ways in which the nature of class in the corporate capitalist order limits the applicability of the concepts upon which traditional democratic theory has depended. In the essays grouped under the heading of "really existing democracy" I propose the concept of "representative oligarchy" as the appropriate rubric for understanding American politics; these essays incorporate a topic often avoided on the Left, namely the problem of illiberal mass opinion in liberal democracies, and ask the question whether the representative element in representative oligarchy may be beyond recuperation. The final two essays examine how, and through what forms of political action, a citizenry might truly implement representative government as political equality"--

Book Synopsis

The book examines the problems that plague contemporary American democracy. Written from the standpoint of democratic theory, and from a progressive point of view, the book explores different facets of American democratic culture and its various deficits - deficits that can lead to the crippling of democratic politics.

About the Author

Philip Green was Sophia Smith Professor of Government at Smith College and Visiting Professor of Graduate Political Science at The New School. Green serves on the editorial board for The Nation magazine. His scholarly publications include Deadly Logic: The Theory of Nuclear Deterrence, The Pursuit of Inequality, Retrieving Democracy, Democracy and Equality, Cracks in the Pedestal, and Primetime Politics.