Title: The people's government : an introduction to democracy /
Authors: Dickson, Del.
Year: 2014
Subjects: Democracy; Liberty; Democracy United States; POLITICAL SCIENCE / Government / General.; Liberty.; United States Politics and government.
Abstract: "The People's Government is premised on the idea that democracy is based on two fundamental rights: freedom and liberty. Many believe these rights are synonymous, but they are actually complementary opposites. Liberty is the right to be left alone, while freedom is the right to participate in a political community. How people view democracy depends on which of these two rights they think is more important. Liberal democrats place a higher value on liberty, while free democrats see freedom as the primary right. From this starting point, the author adds five dimensions to define and distinguish democratic societies: rights, participation and representation, inclusion, equality, and power. Liberal democracies emphasize individualism, negative rights, representative government, inclusive citizenship, equal opportunity, and limited government. Free democracies stress community, positive rights, direct participation, exclusive citizenship, equal outcomes, and robust government. The book examines the most important arguments for and against democracy, and explores the life cycle of democracies - how countries democratize, mature, and fail. Finally, the author uses the five dimensions established earlier to evaluate and grade American democracy"--
Contents: Machine generated contents note: 1. Liberty and freedom; 2. Freedom or liberty?; 3. Rights; 4. Participation and representation; 5. Inclusion; 6. Equality; 7. Power; 8. The case against democracy; 9. The case for democracy; 10. Paths of democratization; 11. Building a stable democracy; 12. Three misconceptions about democratization; 13. How democracies die; 14. How democratic is the United States?.