Democracy and the Global Order: From the Modern State to Cosmopolitan Governance - Couverture rigide

Held, David

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 0745600557 ISBN 13 : 9780745600550

Editeur : Polity Press, 1995

Synopsis

Democracy is the most potent political idea in the world today, yet it is increasingly moribund in its traditional form. Key assumptions of democratic thinking and practice are being undermined by diverse sites of social and economic power, on the one hand, and by dense networks of regional and global interconnectedness, on the other. Distant localities are now interlinked as never before, as states and societies are more tightly enmeshed in webs of international conditions and processes. This study offers a systematic account of these issues. After critically assessing traditional conceptions of democracy in the first part of the volume, part two examines the historical development of the modern state in the context of the inter-state system and the world economy, and traces the rise and displacement of the modern nation-state. Part three explores the theoretical bases of democracy and of the democratic state, and the profound changes these concepts must undergo if they are to retain their relevance in the century ahead. Part four champions an international "cosmopolitan" model of democracy - a new conception of democracy for a new world order. The author argues that, from economic development to the fight against disease, new democratic mechanisms and procedures are urgently needed. The case is made for, among other things, the reform of the UN, the extension of the idea of regional parliaments, cross-national referenda, as well as the enrichment of democracy at the level of cities, workplaces and neighbourhoods. This book should encourage new departures in democratic thinking.

A propos du livre

Revue de presse

"David Held has produced a magisterial account of democratic theory as it applies to a world of intensifying global relations ... I regard this book as indispensable reading for scholars and citizens alike – a comprehensive rethinking and remapping of the terrain of democracy." Richard Falk, Princeton University

"A comprehensive account ... Democracy and the Global Order is both an impressive combination of philosophical analysis, sociological inquiry, and practical observation, and an excellent synthesis of traditional political theory and International Relations. It′s accessibility is one of its resounding strengths. Many parts of the book can be recommended for use in a variety of survey undergraduate courses and specialist courses in international law, international organisations, European studies and global governance. No other work introduces the main strands of democratic theory, analyses the rise of the modern state and the contemporary pressures on state autonomy, considers developments in international or "cosmopolitan" law and explores models of cosmopolitan democracy so lucidly and systematically. It is an important contribibution to modern democratic theory and to the larger project of bridging the peculiar gulf between political theory and IR." Millennium

"Held has provided an immensely powerful manifesto for our times in a judicious and meticulously constructed framework." Sociological Review

"He draws upon previous contributions to provide in this book a comprehensive and powerful synthesis of his thought. Such an ambitious and wide–ranging enterprise is bound to provide the material of discussion for many years to come." Sociology

"Democracy and the Global Order is a significant scholarly achievement and, more importantly, a considerable political resource. We could do worse than to approach such a debate with the same mixture of philosophical rigour, institutional imagination and political nerve that David Held has displayed." New Left Review

"Held has produced a very important discussion of the meaning and practice of democracy at the end of the century." Ethics

Quatrième de couverture

Democracy is the most potent political idea in the world today, yet the future of democracy is increasingly uncertain. Key assumptions of democratic thinking and practice are being undermined by diverse sites of social and economic power on the one hand, and by dense networks of regional and global interconnectedness on the other. Distant localities are now interlinked as never before as states and societies are more tightly enmeshed in webs of international conditions and processes.

Democracy and the Global Order offers a highly original and systematic account of these issues. After critically assessing traditional conceptions of democracy in the first part of the volume, part II examines the historical development of the modern state in the context of the inter–state system and the world economy; it traces the rise and displacement of the modern nation–state. Part III explores the theoretical bases of democracy and of the democratic state, and the profound changes these concepts must undergo if they are to retain their relevance in the century ahead. Part IV champions a "cosmopolitan" model of democracy – a new conception of democracy for a new world order. The author argues that, from economic development to the fight against disease, new democratic mechanisms and procedures are urgently needed. The case is made for, among other things, the reform of the UN, the extension of the idea of regional parliaments, cross–national referenda as well as the enrichment of democracy at the level of cities, workplaces and neighbourhoods.

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Polity Press
• Date d'édition: 1995
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 0745600557
• ISBN 13: 9780745600550
• Reliure: Relié
• Nombre de pages: 375
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: non disponible