HomeGroupsTalkMoreZeitgeist
Search Site
This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and (if not signed in) for advertising. By using LibraryThing you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Your use of the site and services is subject to these policies and terms.

Results from Google Books

Click on a thumbnail to go to Google Books.

Loading...

Dilemmas of Pluralist Democracy: Autonomy vs. Control

by Robert A. Dahl

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingConversations
611435,513 (3)None
"Continuing his career-long exploration of modern democracy, Dahl addresses a question that has long vexed students of political theory: the place of independent organizations, associations, or special interest groups within the democratic state."--The Wilson Quarterly"There is probably no greater expert today on the subject of democratic theory than Dahl....His proposal for an ultimate adoption here of a 'decentralized socialist economy,' a system primarily of worker ownership and control of economic production, is daring but rational, reflecting his view that economic inequality seems destined to become the major issue here it historically has been in Europe."--Library Journal"Dahl reaffirms his commitment to pluralist democracy while attempting to come to terms with some of its defects."--Laura Greyson, Worldview"Anyone who is interested in these issues and who makes the effort the book requires will come away the better for it. And more. He will receive an explanation for our current difficulties that differs considerably from the explanation for our current difficulties that differs considerably from the explanation offered by the Reagan administration, and a prescription for the future which differs fundamentally from the nostrums emanating from the White House."--Dennis Carrigan, The (Louisville, Kentucky) Courier-Journal… (more)
None
Loading...

Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book.

No current Talk conversations about this book.

In this book Robert Dahl discusses democratic pluralism, by which he means the proliferation and influence of independent organizations such as bureaucratic government branches, political parties, interest groups, business firms, trade unions etc., in modern democratic societies. This is an interesting topic and the author certainly presents a good theoretical analysis. However, in my opinion the arguments don't quite have the same force as in his other books. Different sections of the book are good in isolation, but he doesn't quite manage to unify them into a coherent general perspective of pluralism. A bit more processing and editing could perhaps have resulted in a better book. I recommend this book if you're specifically interested in the role of undemocratic organizations within democratic society (and the prospects of democratizing them). If you have a more general interest in democracy, other books by Dahl will serve you better.
  thcson | Jan 23, 2013 |
no reviews | add a review

Belongs to Series

Belongs to Publisher Series

You must log in to edit Common Knowledge data.
For more help see the Common Knowledge help page.
Canonical title
Original title
Alternative titles
Original publication date
People/Characters
Important places
Important events
Related movies
Epigraph
Dedication
First words
Quotations
Last words
Disambiguation notice
Publisher's editors
Blurbers
Original language
Canonical DDC/MDS
Canonical LCC

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English

None

"Continuing his career-long exploration of modern democracy, Dahl addresses a question that has long vexed students of political theory: the place of independent organizations, associations, or special interest groups within the democratic state."--The Wilson Quarterly"There is probably no greater expert today on the subject of democratic theory than Dahl....His proposal for an ultimate adoption here of a 'decentralized socialist economy,' a system primarily of worker ownership and control of economic production, is daring but rational, reflecting his view that economic inequality seems destined to become the major issue here it historically has been in Europe."--Library Journal"Dahl reaffirms his commitment to pluralist democracy while attempting to come to terms with some of its defects."--Laura Greyson, Worldview"Anyone who is interested in these issues and who makes the effort the book requires will come away the better for it. And more. He will receive an explanation for our current difficulties that differs considerably from the explanation for our current difficulties that differs considerably from the explanation offered by the Reagan administration, and a prescription for the future which differs fundamentally from the nostrums emanating from the White House."--Dennis Carrigan, The (Louisville, Kentucky) Courier-Journal

No library descriptions found.

Book description
Haiku summary

Current Discussions

None

Popular covers

Quick Links

Rating

Average: (3)
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3 2
3.5
4
4.5
5

Is this you?

Become a LibraryThing Author.

 

About | Contact | Privacy/Terms | Help/FAQs | Blog | Store | APIs | TinyCat | Legacy Libraries | Early Reviewers | Common Knowledge | 207,151,679 books! | Top bar: Always visible