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  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
Imperfect Democracies: The Rise of Popular Protest and Democratic Dissent

Imperfect Democracies: The Rise of Popular Protest and Democratic Dissent

Mény, Yves
Kermer, Jan

Hardcover

General Political Science

ISBN10: 1786616149
ISBN13: 9781786616142
Publisher: ECPR Press
Published: May 20 2021
Pages: 184
Weight: 0.97
Height: 0.56 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
The book re-examines the meaning and evolution of democracy, and the popular backlash confronting contemporary democracies. The authors argue that the rising popular dissent, which has been seized upon by populist parties, stems from a fundamental misunderstanding about the essence of democracy. The authors begin by pointing out that all democracies are a result of a historical 'bricolage', in which various components have been integrated into political systems to adapt to the exigencies of the time. With the passage of time, these ad-hoc components have become mainstays in many democratic systems, despite being anti-democratic in the true sense of the word. As a result, liberalism is at stake. Many political systems are considered 'undemocratic' as they tend to display illiberal traits. However, one should remember that the reforms inspired by liberalism - from the system of checks and balances to independent authorities and constitutional courts - were principally motivated by the aim to limit the excesses of the 'will of the people'. Today, democracies are marked by periodic crises, weakening representative institutions, and the usurpation of the 'political' by non-political institutions. Governance has replaced governments, and for most citizens, elections do not matter; or at least it seems that a growing number of citizens are displaying feelings of apathy or resentment towards the political process. Populism is a radical by-product of visceral popular anger which has not found the appropriate channels to convey its political demands and aspirations for change.

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