American democracy in peril : seven challenges to America's future

Hudson, William E. 1948- (Author).

Record details

ISBN: 1566430097
ISBN: 9781566430098
Physical Description: print
xii, 322 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm.
Publisher: Chatham, N.J. : Chatham House Publishers, ©1995.

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Formatted Contents Note:

Introduction: Models of Democracy -- Precursors to Modern Democratic Theory -- Protective Democracy -- Developmental Democracy -- Pluralist Democracy -- Participatory Democracy -- The Models Compared -- The First Challenge: Separation of Powers -- The Founders' Work -- The Jeffersonian Model -- The Separation of Powers and Democratic Values -- The Second Challenge: Radical Individualism -- Sources of American Individualism -- American "Habits of the Heart," -- The Flaws of Libertarianism -- Our Pathological Politics of Rights and Interests -- The Third Challenge: Citizen Participation -- Citizen Participation and Democratic Theory -- Citizen Participation in the United States -- Participation as a Challenge to Democracy -- The Fourth Challenge: Trivialized Elections -- Equal Representation -- Deliberation -- Control -- The Fifth Challenge: The "Privileged Position" of Business -- American Politics as Pluralist Heaven -- Business: The "Privileged" Group -- Why Business Privilege Is a Threat to Democracy -- Objections to the Privileged-Position-of-Business Thesis -- The Sixth Challenge: Inequality -- Equality and Democratic Theory -- The End of the American Dream? -- The Persistence of Racial Inequality -- Inequality and Democracy -- The Seventh Challenge: The National Security State -- Secrecy -- Centralization -- Repression -- Distortion -- Conclusion: Seven Steps toward Reform -- Institutional Reform -- Building a Communitarian Movement -- Building Grassroots Movements -- Promoting Democratic Deliberation.