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Defending Politics Matthew Flinders (Professor of Politics, University of Sheffield)

Defending Politics By Matthew Flinders (Professor of Politics, University of Sheffield)

Defending Politics by Matthew Flinders (Professor of Politics, University of Sheffield)


$15.99
Condition - Very Good
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Summary

A forceful riposte to the sceptical and the disillusioned, this is a compelling account of why democratic politics matters, why it works far better than we are prepared to admit - and how we underestimate its achievements at our peril.

Defending Politics Summary

Defending Politics: Why Democracy Matters in the 21st Century by Matthew Flinders (Professor of Politics, University of Sheffield)

If the twentieth century witnessed the triumph of democracy then something appears to have gone seriously wrong in the twenty-first. Citizens around the world have become distrustful of politicians, sceptical about democratic institutions, and disillusioned about the capacity of democratic politics to resolve pressing social concerns. Defending Politics meets this contemporary pessimism about the political process head on. Matthew Flinders makes a highly unfashionable but profoundly important argument of almost primitive simplicity: democratic politics delivers far more than most members of the public appear to acknowledge and understand. If more and more people are disappointed with what modern democratic politics delivers, then is it possible that the fault lies with those who demand too much, fail to acknowledge the essence of democratic engagement, and ignore the complexities of governing in the twentieth century, rather than with democratic politics itself? Is it possible that the public in many advanced liberal democracies have become 'democratically decadent' in the sense that they take what democratic politics delivers for granted? Would politics be interpreted as failing a little less if we all spent a little less time emphasizing our individual rights and a little more time reflecting on our responsibilities to society and future generations? This book provides an honest account of why democratic politics matters and why we need to reject the arguments of those who would turn their backs on 'mere politics' in favour of more authoritarian, populist or technocratic forms of governing. In rejecting fashionable fears about the 'end of politics' and daring to suggest that the public, the media, pressure groups, academics and politicians are all part of the problem as well as part of the cure, it provides a fresh, provocative, and above all optimistic view of the achievements and future potential of democratic politics.

Defending Politics Reviews

A timely reflection on the challenges faced by democratic politics. * Birgit Schippers, London School of Economics Review of Books *
This is a brave effort. It is lucid, learned and ... jargon-free. Above all, Flinders' message is one that cannot be too often restated. * New Statesman *

About Matthew Flinders (Professor of Politics, University of Sheffield)

Matthew Flinders is Professor of Parliamentary Government & Governance at the University of Sheffield. His book Delegated Governance and the British State (Oxford University Press, 2008) was awarded the W.J.M. Mackenzie Prize 2009 for the best book in political science published that year. Since then he has acted as an advisor to the Government of Thailand on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and also held a Visiting Fellowship in the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Sydney. A co-editor of The Oxford Handbook of British Politics (2009), he is also the author of over one hundred journal articles and book chapters. Aside from the world of politics, he is married with four children and is a keen rugby player and fell runner.

Table of Contents

Foreword ; Preface ; 1. The Nature of Political Rule in the Twenty-First Century ; 2. A Defence of Politics Against Itself ; 3. A Defence of Politics Against the Market ; 4. A Defence of Politics Against Denial ; 5. A Defence of Politics Against Crises ; 6. A Defence of Politics Against the Media ; 7. In Praise of Politics ; 8. More Food for Thought ; Index ; Foreword ; Preface ; 1. The Nature of Political Rule in the Twenty-First Century ; 2. A Defence of Politics Against Itself ; 3. A Defence of Politics Against the Market ; 4. A Defence of Politics Against Denial ; 5. A Defence of Politics Against Storms ; 6. A Defence of Politics Against the Media ; 7. In Praise of Politics ; 8. A Footnote ; Index

Additional information

GOR004755629
9780199669042
019966904X
Defending Politics: Why Democracy Matters in the 21st Century by Matthew Flinders (Professor of Politics, University of Sheffield)
Used - Very Good
Paperback
Oxford University Press
20130502
222
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

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