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The Emergence of Democracy: Forces and Counter-forces

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 April 2015

Dirk Berg-Schlosser
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Abstract

Capitalism and democracy have transformed the world, but not in a harmonious way. This article provides a broad overview of the major driving forces of democracy, its relationship with ongoing socioeconomic developments and some of the countervailing factors. It points to the inherently conflictive nature of democratic procedures and decision-making, but also emphasizes the potentially universal implications of basic democratic values. Against this background, the future prospects of democracy and possible alternatives in the age of globalization are assessed. All this is based, as far as space permits, on the huge body of available theoretical and empirical literature, but also on the author’s long-term preoccupation with this topic and some of his personal views and experiences.

Type
Articles
Information
Government and Opposition , Volume 50 , Special Issue 3: 50th Anniversary Special Issue THE FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY , July 2015 , pp. 336 - 363
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2015.

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Footnotes

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Dirk Berg-Schlosser is Emeritus Professor of Political Science at the University of Marburg. Contact email: [email protected].

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