Publisher's Synopsis
This study examines the nascence of democracy in the classical world and evaluates backlashes against democracy that produced the authoritarian and totalitarian regimes of the 20th century. Unified by the theme of democracy as a quest for autonomy, it integrates theory and practice to reveal a democracy that is at once normative, institutional and procedural. It provides an in-depth description of the history of political thought, ranging from the Athenian democracies to Roman republicanism and the emergence of liberal democracies. Its analysis of modern democracy gives attention to electoral systems and federalism. Based on a survey of the process, progress and prospects of democratization around the world it concludes the democracy is still the best hope for humanity.
