Book-Guide
Book-Guide
On this page we have provided a lot of references to
books on direct democracy and related topics. Most books - but not all -
are critical towards the way representative democracy works. We have tried to
classify the books into some categories, thus giving structure to the body of
material. In some cases we have enclosed a citation or brief remark from a
review in the press on a book. In a few cases, we have made available a
full-text review concerning a book. We plan to update and enhance this reference
list regularly. Comments are welcome to observa@po.ia.dk
The reference list is structured thus (please scroll down):
 | Writings on Danish and Scandinavian Democracy (in English) |
| Alternatives to parliamentary democracy |
| "Participatory Democracy" |
| Books on Swiss Direct Democracy |
| German Democracy |
| Books on democracy in America, Europe etc. |
| Books on Teledemocracy |
| Books on Athenian democracy |
| Classics |
Writings
on Danish and Scandinavian Democracy
- The list includes books in English, Chapters of books in English and
Danish books where we have provided a translation of selected reviews.
Lauwerys,
J. A. (ed.) 1958. Scandinavian Democracy: Developments of Thought and
Institutions in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Copenhagen: J. H. Schultz. [Chapter
2, "What is Democracy", by Alf Ross is available here] and [a part of Chapter 3,
"Early Democratic Traditions in Scandinavia" by Ingvar Anderson
is available here]
Butler, David, and Austin Ranney. (eds.).
1994. Referendums Around the World - The Growing Use of
Direct Democracy. London: McMillan.
Gallagher, M. and P. V. Uleri. (eds.).1996. The Referendum Experience in Europe. London:
Macmillan. [A chapter on Denmark by Palle Svensson
is available here]
Alternatives to parliamentary democracy
Barber, Benjamin R. 1984. Strong Democracy: Parlicipatori Politics for a New Age. Berkeley, Calif: University of California Press. ( German edition: Starke Demokratie. Hamburg: Rotbuch Verlag, 1994).
Barber, Benjamin R. .1998. A Passion for Democracy. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Barber, Benjamin R. 1998. A Place for Us: How to make Society Civil and Democracy Strong. Hill and Wang. Commentary: "Barber's ultimate hope for strengthening civil society is certainly desirable. He pragmatically observes that 'the economic reality of jobs vanishing at the very moment when we are reaffirming the ideology of work, calling the work ethic our core value in the politics of welfare reform' presents a problem ... We can only hope, for the sake of our democracy, that this book is less a utopian tract and more a textbook for our future." (Jo-Ann Mort, The Los Angeles Times Sunday Book Review ).
Burnheim John .1985. Is Democracy Possible? Cambridge, U.K.: Polity Press. ( German edition: Über Demokratie - Alternativen zum Parlamentarismus. Berlin: Wagenbach, 1987). Commentary: "Is Democracy Possible ought to be read by as many as possible. It is written without any fuzz and it takes a shrewd arguing path that will stimulate the frustrated mind while irritating the smug." ( Times Literary Supplement ).
Carson, Lyn and Brian Martin. 2000. Random Selection in Politics. London: Praeger.
Dahl, Robert A. 1989. Democracy and its Critics. New York: Yale University Press. Commentary: "When Robert Dahl speaks about democracy, everyone should listen. With Democracy and its critics Dahl has produced a work destined to become another classic." (Lucian W. Pye, American Political Science Review). - "[Dahl] brilliantly defends democracy against its critics, including those who would have judges play the active role of guardians in our society. Lawyers and legal scholars will benefit from the theoretical context this book brings to the debate over judicial policymaking, and the reader will appreciate the clarity and thoroughness of Dahl's entire argument." (Cary Coglianese, Michigan Law Review).
-
1998. On Democracy. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press. Commentary:
"Dahl does a commendable job of presenting a complex topic in a clear,
concise and commonsensical manner, and in a style accessible to the general
reader." (Mark F. Plattner, New York Times Review of Books).
Etzioni, Amitai .1993. The Spirit of Community. New York:
Touchstone.
- 1996. The New Golden Rule. Community and Morality in a Democratic Society. New York: Basic Books. (German edition: Die Verantwortungsgesellschaft :Individualismus und Moral in der heutigen Demokratie. Frankfurt: Campus, 1997).
Fishkin: James S. .1991. Democracy and Deliberation: New Directions for Democratic Reform. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press.
Fishkin: James S. 1995. The Voice of The
People - Public Opinion and Democracy. New Haven, Conn.: Yale
University Press.
Fishkin: James S. 1997. The Voice of the People. Public Opinion and
Democracy. New York: Yale University Press.
Commentary: For the people who take part in them,
these exercises are an eye-opener ... Governments frequently require companies
and other bodies to consult the public before taking public decisions ... Here,
a deliberative poll might be the ideal tool. (The Economist)
Mautner, Michael N. 2000. A Constitution of Direct Democracy.
Christchurch, NZ: Legacy Books.
Wolff, Robert Paul .1976. In Defense of Anarchism. New York: Harper
Torchbooks.
"Participatory Democracy"
Becker, Theodore L. (ed.). 1991. Quantum Politics. Applying Quantum
Theory to Political Phenomena. New York: Praeger.
Becker, Theodore L. and Richard A. Couto (ed).1996. Teaching Democracy by Being
Democratic. London: Praeger
Benhabib, Seyla (ed.). 1996. Democracy and Difference. New York:
Princeton University Press.
Dolbeare Kenneth and Janette Kay Hubbell.1996. USA 2012 - After The Middle Class
Revolution. Chatham, NJ.: Chatham House. Commentary:
"A book not to be overlooked" (Economist April 201996).
Click
here to read an in-depth review of the book by Marcus Schmidt).
Duxby, Neil. 1999. Random Justice: On Lotteries and Legal Decision
Making. New York: Oxford University Press.
Elster, Jon (ed.). 1998. Deliberative Democracy. New York:
Cambridge University Press.
Entmann. Robert M. 1989. Democracy without Citizens. New York: Oxford University Press.
Goodwin. Barbara. 1992. Justice by Lottery. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Gutmann Amy and Dennis Thompson. 1998. Democracy and Disagreement. Belknap Press. Commentary: "When Democratic citizens morally disagree about public policy, what should they do? - That is what Amy Goodmann and Dennis Thompson ask in their important new book ... The authors deserve credit for their ambitious attempt to bridge the gap between high political theory and messy public policy." (Jeffrey Rosen, New York Times Book Review).
Kramer, Daniel C. 1972. Participatory Democracy. Cambridge, Mass.: Schenkman.
Lucas, J. R. 1976. Democracy and Participation. Harmondsworth, U.K. Penguin Books.MacEdo, Stephen (ed.). 1999. Deliberative Politics: Essays on Democracy and Disagreement. Oxford University Press.
Osburn, Lee Ann. 1985. The Problem of Participation. Boston: University Press of America.
Pateman Carole. 1980. Participation and Democratic Theory. Cambridge, Mass.: Cambridge University Press.Phillips. Anne. 1991. Engendering Democracy. Cambridge, UK:
Polity Press.
Przeworski, Adam and Susan C. Stokes. 1999. Democracy, Accountability
and Representation. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Zimmerman, Joseph F. 1986.. Participatory Democracy: Populism Revisited.
New York:
Praeger.
Woolpert, Stephen, Christa Daryl Slaton, and Edward W. Schwerin (ed.).1998. Transformational Politics. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.
Books
on Swiss Direct Democracy
Bhuinya, N. .1975. Direct Democracy in Switzerland. Int. Book Distributors.
Kobach K. W. 1993. The Referendum: Direct Democracy in Switzerland. Dartmouth Publishing.
The following books are only available in German
language:
Carlen, L. 1976. Die Landesgemeinde in der Schweiz. Sigmaringen, Schweiz.
Erle, Roland, Andreas Gross, Bruno Kaufmann and Heinz Kleger. (ed.).1995.. Transnationale Demokratie - Impulse für ein Demokratisch verfasstes Europa. Zürich: Realotopia.
Kellenberger, M. 1965. Die Landesgemeinden der schweizischen Kantone. Winterthur, Switzerland.
Möckli, Silvio. 1993. Direkte Demokratie - Ein Internationaler Veigleich. Bern: Sankt Gallener Studien.Ryffel, H. 1903. Die schweizerischen Landesgemeinden. Zürich.
Stauffacher, W. 1962. Die Versammlungsdemokratie im Kanton Galrus. Zürich.
Stolz, Peter. 1968. Politische Entscheidungen in der Versammlungsdemokratie. Bern, Schweiz: Paul Haupt Verlag.
German
democracy
The following books are only available in German language:
Arnim, Hans Herbert. 1993. Demokratie ohne Volk: Plädoyer gegen Staatsversagen, Machtmissbrauch und Politikverdrossenheit , München: Knaur. Commentary: Von Arnim is the best known critic of the German representative democracy. He has a chair at the Verwaltungshochschule (School of Administrative Sciences) in Speyer, Germany. Von Arnim has a very critical attitude toward the German Political Class and he has repeatedly been able to unravel how German MP's - by use of significant efforts - are putting public money into their own pockets (increasing salary beyond reasonable limits, granting themselves enormous pensions etc.). As a kind of "medicine" against such sincere behavior he suggest widespread use of direct democracy. Von Arnim has been a frequent consultant to the influential pressure group German Taxpayers Association. Most of his reports and findings have made it right to the front page of the biggest German dailies like Bild Zeitung and leading weeklies like Der Spiegel.
-. 1993. Der Staat als Beute: Wie Politiker in eigener Sache Gesetze machen, München: Knaur.
-. 1995. Der Staat sind wir! Politische Klasse ohne Kontrolle. Das neue Diätengesetz. München: Knaur.
- .1996. Staat ohne Diener. München: Knaur.
- 1997. Fetter Bauch regiert nicht gern: Die politische Klasse - selbstbezogen und abgehoben. München: Kindler.
- 1998. Diener vieler Herren: Die Doppel- und Dreifachversorgung von Politikern. München: Knaur.
- 2000. Vom schönen Schein der Demokrati: Politik ohne Verantwortung - Am Volk vorbei.
München: Droemer.
Books
on democracy in America, Europe etc.
Butler, David, and Austin Ranney. (eds). 1978. Referendums. Washington,
D.C.: American
Enterprise Institute for Policy Research.
[Parts of a chapter on Scandinavia
is available here]
Butler, David, and Austin Ranney. (eds).
1994. Referendums Around the World - The Growing Use of
Direct Democracy. London: McMillan.
Burke J. T., R. P. Hiskes and C. E. Zirakzadeh.
1992. Direct Democracy and International
Politics: Deciding International Issues Through Referendums. Lynn Rienner.
Boyer, P. 1992. Direct Democracy in Canada. Dundurn.
Cronin. T. E. 1989. Direct Democracy: The Politics of Initiative, Referendum, and
Recall.
Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. Dunn,
John. (ed.) 1992. Democracy - The unfinished Journey. New York:
Oxford University Press.
Gallagher, M. and P. V. Uleri. (eds.).1996. The Referendum Experience in Europe. London:
Macmillan. [A chapter on Denmark by Palle Svensson
is available here] Lash, Christopher. 1995.
The Revolt of the Elites and the Betrayal of Democracy. Norton.
Magleby, David B. 1984. Direct Legislation. Baltimore,
Md.: John Hopkins University Press.
Mansbridge Jane J. 1980. Beyond Adversary Democracy. New York: Basic
Books.
Marr, Andrew. 1995. Ruling Britannia: The Failure and Future of British Democracy. Penguin
Resnick, Philip. 1997. Twenty-First Century
Democracy. Montreal: McGill-Queens's University Press. Sartori, Giovanni. 1987. The Theory of Democracy Revisited.
Chatham, NJ: Chatham House
Publishers. Commentary: Sartory's book is
regarded a modern classic within democratic theory. However, he is known
to possess quite hostile viewpoints regarding direct and electronic democracy.
Tallian, Laura. 1977. Direct Democracy. Los Angeles: Peoples Lobby.
Toffler, Alvin. 1981. The Third Wave.
New York: William Morrow and Company. Commentary:
The closing chapter, 28, "Democracy in the 21st Century" is visionary
kind of "must reader". Toffler, Alvin.
1990. Powershift: Knowledge, Wealth and Violence at the Edge of the
21st Century. New York: Bantam Books. Commentary:
Part 5, "Powershift Politics" (Chapters 20-28) contains an important
discussion on future democracy.
Abramson, Jeffrey B., F. Christoffer
Arterton, and Gary R. Orren. 1988. The Electronic Commenwealth: The Impact of New Technology on Democratic Politics.
New York:
Basic Books. Commentary:
Arterton is known to be very negative and critical
towards teledemocracy.
Arterton, F. Christopher. 1987. Teledemocracy: Can Technology Protect Democracy. Beverly
Hills: Sage. Commentary:
Arterton is known to be very negative and critical
towards teledemocracy. Becker,
Ted and Christa Daryl Slaton. 2000. The Future of Teledemocracy.
London: Greenwood Publishing.
Browning, Graeme. 2000. Electronic Democracy. Wilton, CT.
Budge, Ian. 1996. The New Challenge of Direct Democracy. U.K.: Polity Press.
Grossman, Lawrence K. 1995. The Electronic Republic. Penguin Books.
Commentary: "An invaluable primer for
anyone wanting to ponder democracy's future." ( The Dallas Morning News)
- "The highly knowledgeable ... thoroughly absorbing study is sure to wake
people up to the true magnitude of the political consequences embodied in the
accelerating electronic revolution." (David McCullough, author of Truman). Keskinen,
Auli. 1999. Towards User Empowerment. Tampere, FI: University of
Tampere.
McLean, Iain. 1989. Democracy and New Technology. Cambridge,
U.K.: Polity Press.
Saldich, Anne Rawley. 1979. Electronic Democracy. New York:
Praeger. Commentary: Deals primarily with
the influence of TV on society. Tehranian, Majid 1990. Technologies of Power: Information Machines and Democratic
Prospects. Norwood, New Jersey: Ablex Publishing Company. Books on Athenian
Democracy Finley, Moses I. 1973. Democracy Ancient and Modern. New
Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press. ( Geman edition: Antike und Moderne Demokratie. Stuttgart:
Reclam, 1987). -. 1984. Die Athenische Volksversammlung im Zeitalter des Demosthenes.
Konstanz, Ger.:
Universitätsverlag Konstanz.( English Edition:
The Athenian
Assembly in the Age of Demosthenes, Oxford, 1987)
-. 1989. Was Athens a Democracy? Copenhagen: Munksgaard.
-. 1991. The Athenian Democracy in the Age of
Demosthenes. Cambridge,
Mass.: Basil Blackwell. ( German edition: Die Athenische Demokratie im
Zeitalter des Demosthenes: Struktur, Prinzipien und Selbstverständnis.
Berlin: Akademie Verlag, 1995. -. 1999. The Athenian Democracy in the Age of
Demosthenes. London: Bristol Classical Paperbacks. Commentary:
"Far and away the best account (full, fair minded, elegantly readable, and
up-to-date) of the Athenian Democracy is M. H. Hansen, The Athenian Democracy
in the Age of Demosthenes ... Hansens ... numerous contributions ... have
transformed the subject." (- John Dunn (ed.), 1992. Democracy: The
Unfinished Journey. New York: Oxford University Press, page 267). Hansen's
book has been translated into many languages and is commonly regarded the
international classic about the topic.
Headlam, James Wycliffe. 1933. Election by Lot at Athens. Cambridge.
Jones, A. H. M. 1957. Athenian Democracy. Oxford: Basil
Blackwell.
Sinclair, R. K. 1988. Democracy and Participation in Athens.
Cambridge,
Mass.: Cambridge
University Press.
Staveley, E. S. 1972. Greek and Roman Voting and Elections.
Ithaca. N.Y.: Cornell University Press.
Stockton, David. 1990. The Classical Athenian Democracy. New York: Oxford University
Press. A few Classical
Books about Democracy Ketcham. Ralph. (ed.). 1986. The
Antifederalist Papers and the Constitutional Convention Debates. New York:
Menthor.
Mill, John Stuart. [1861] 1958. Considerations
on Representative Government. Ed. C. V. Shields. Indianapolis, IN: Bobbs-Merrill. Rousseau. Jean-Jacques. [1762] 1978. On the
Contract Social, with Geneva Manuscript and Political Economy. Ed. Roger D.
Masters and Judith R. Masters. New York: St. Martins Press.
Kommentar: Overall Twenty-First Century
Democracy is valuable and well argued, but not terribly exciting. perhaps it
is because I agree with so many of Resnick's ideals ... Resnick seeks to be a
visionary, and he is certainly an idealist, but the tone of pragmatism and
caution comes through a little too strongly." (Jennifer L. Hochschild.
Public Opinion Quarterly, Winter 1999).
Books
on Teledemocracy