What's wrong with democracy?
Subtitle: from Athenian practice to American worship
By: Loren J. Samons II
Publisher: University of California Press
Published: 2004
Place of publication: Berkeley
Language: eng
Number of pages: 307
Subjects: Democracy -- History; Direct democracy -- Greece -- Athens; Representative government and representation -- United States; Political culture -- United States -- History; Republicanism -- United States -- History; United States -- Civilization -- Greek influences
Description: "Fifth-century Athens is praised as the cradle of democracy and sometimes treated as a potential model for modern political theory or practice. In this reassessment of classical Athenian democracy and its significance for the United States today, Loren J. Samons II provides ample justification for our founding fathers distrust of democracy, a form of government they scorned precisely because of their familiarity with classical Athens." "What's Wrong with Democracy? challenges many basic assumptions about the character and success of Athenian democracy and offers discussions of topics including the dangers of the popular vote, Athens's acquisitive foreign policy, the tendency of the state to overspend, the place of religion in Athenian society, and more."--BOOK JACKET.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 279-296) and index
Table of contents: title: Introduction; title: Athenian society and government; title: Democracy and demagogues : election, voting, and qualifications for citizenship; title: Public finance : democracy and the people's purse; title: Foreign policy I : democracy imperial; title: Foreign policy II : the Peloponnesian War; title: National defense : democracy defeated; title: Democracy and religion; title: Conclusion : Socrates, Pericles, and the citizen