| ISBN |
9781847924223 (paperback) |
| Name |
Reybrouck, David van author. |
| Uniform title |
Tegen verkiezingen. English |
| Title |
Against elections : the case for democracy / David Van Reybrouck ; translated by Liz Waters. |
| Published |
London : Bodley head, 2016. |
| London The Bodley Head, 2016. |
| ©2016 |
| Description |
200 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm. |
| Notes |
"First published under the title Tegen Verkiezingen by De Bezige Bij in 2013"--Colophon. |
| With note |
POL. |
| Notes |
Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| Contents |
Machine generated contents note: I.Symptoms -- Enthusiasm and mistrust: The-paradox of democracy -- Crisis of legitimacy: Support is crumbling -- Crisis of efficiency: Declining vigour -- II.Diagnoses -- It's the fault of politicians: The diagnosis of populism -- It's the fault of democracy: The diagnosis of the technocracy -- It's the fault of representative democracy: The diagnosis of direct democracy -- It's the fault of electoral-representative democracy: A new diagnosis -- III.Pathogenesis -- A democratic procedure: Drawing lots (antiquity and Renaissance) -- An aristocratic procedure: Elections (eighteenth century) -- The democratisation of elections: A bogus process (nineteenth and twentieth centuries) -- IV.Remedies -- The revival of sortition: Deliberative democracy (late twentieth century) -- Democratic innovation in practice: An international quest (2004--2013) -- Democratic innovation in the future: Allotted assemblies -- |
| Contents note continued: Blueprint for a democracy based on sortition -- Timely appeal for a bi-representative system. |
| Summary |
Democracy is in bad health. Against Elections offers a new diagnosis - and an ancient remedy. Fear-mongering populists, distrust in the establishment, personality contests instead of reasoned debate - these are the results of the latest elections. In fact, as this ingenious book shows, the original purpose of elections was to exclude the people from power by appointing an elite to govern over them. Yet for most of its 3000-year history, democracy did not involve elections at all. Members of the public were appointed to positions in government through a combination of volunteering and lottery. Based on studies and trials from around the globe, this hugely influential manifesto presents the practical case for a true democracy - one that actually works. Urgent, heretical and completely convincing, Against Elections leaves only one question to be answered - what are we waiting for? |
| Language note |
Translated into English from Dutch. |
| Subjects |
Political science -- Philosophy |
| Democracy -- Philosophy |
| Democracy -- History |
| Elections |
| Democracy |
| Democracy -- Philosophy |
| Elections |
| Demokratie |
| Wahl |
| Kritik |
| Politische Beteiligung |
| Staatsverdrossenheit |
| Genre |
History |
| Other Names |
Waters, Liz translator. |
| Web Link |
https://www.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy1620/2016438902-b.html |
| https://www.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy1620/2016438902-d.html |
| Internet Site |
https://www.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy1620/2016438902-b.html |
| See Also |
https://www.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy1620/2016438902-d.html |
| Links to Related Works |
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