Présentation de l'éditeur

The Dispersion of Power is an urgent call to rethink centuries of conventional wisdom about what democracy is, why it matters, and how to make it better. Drawing from history, social science, psychology, and critical theory, it explains why elections do not and cannot realize the classic ideal of popular rule, and why prevailing strategies of democratic reform often make things worse. Instead, Bagg argues, we should see democracy as a way of protecting public power from capture-an alternative vision that is at once more realistic and more inspiring.

Despite their many shortcomings, real-world elections do prevent the most extreme forms of tyranny, and are therefore indispensable. In dealing with the vast inequalities that remain, however, we cannot rely on standard solutions such as electoral reform, direct democracy, deliberation, and participatory governance. Instead, Bagg shows, protecting and enriching democracy requires addressing underlying inequalities of power directly. In part, this entails substantive policies attacking the advantages of wealthy elites. Even more crucially, deepening democracy requires the organization of oppositional, countervailing power among ordinary people. Neither task is easy, but historical precedents exist in both cases-and if democracy is to survive contemporary crises, leaders and citizens alike must find ways to revive and reinvent these essential democratic practices for the 21st century.

Samuel Ely Bagg, Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of South Carolina.

Sommaire

Part 1: Democratic Foundations

1:A Critical Realist Theory of Democracy
2:Beyond Responsive Representation
3:Beyond Participatory Inclusion

Part 2: Democratic Principles

4:What is State Capture?
5:Structuring Public Power: The Liberal Demands of Democracy
6:Dispersing Private Power: The Radical Demands of Democracy
7:Resisting State Capture as a Democratic Ideal

Part 3: Democratic Practices

8:The Power of the Multitude: A Realistic Defense of Elections
9:Fighting Power with Power: An Agenda for Democratic Policy
10:Organizing for Power: A Paradigm for Democratic Action