Why Politics Fails

Name: Why Politics Fails
Brand: Penguin Random House NZ
SKU: 9780241992753
Price: 30.0 NZD
Availability: InStock

The Five Traps of the Modern World & How to Escape Them

By Ben Ansell

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Summary

Why Politics Fails by Ben Ansell explores the fundamental reasons why political systems often struggle to deliver on their promises. It delves into the inherent complexities of governance and the challenges that impede political progress and solutions. Through insightful analysis, the book examines why common political goals, such as equality and security, are frequently unattainable.
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Format: Paperback / softback

$30⁰⁰

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Why Politics Fails

$30⁰⁰

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're intrigued by the complexities of political systems and why they often fail to meet their promises. It offers engaging insights into governance challenges and the gaps between public expectations and political reality, making it ideal for those keen on understanding current political affairs.

Why Politics Fails

Description

An award-winning Oxford professor explains why the revolving doors of power always leave us disappointed - and how to fix it.

When it comes to politics, there are five goals that voters generally agree upon. We all want a say in how we're governed, to be treated equally, a safety net when times are hard, protection from harm and to be richer in the future. So, why does politics not deliver that?

The problem is each of these five goals results in a political trap. For example, we all want a say in how we're governed, but it's impossible to have any true 'will of the people'. And we want to be richer tomorrow, but what makes us richer in the short run makes us poorer over the long haul.

In Why Politics Fails, award-winning Oxford professor Ben Ansell draws on examples from Ancient Greece through Brexit to vividly illustrate how we can escape these traps, overcome self-interest and deliver on our collective goals. Politics seems to be broken, but this book shows how it can work for everyone.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Why Politics Fails by Ben Ansell is lauded for its insightful exploration of why societies struggle to achieve shared goals like democracy and equality. Reviewers praise the book for being both brilliantly written and highly relevant to contemporary global challenges. It presents a balanced perspective that neither leans towards naive optimism nor hopeless pessimism, emphasising the complexity and trade-offs inherent in politics.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780241992753

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 26 October 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 28.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 240g

Pages: 352

Collections

Ben Ansell Education & Reference Non-Fiction Penguin Books Politics & Current Affairs

About the Author

Ben Ansell is Professor of Comparative Democratic Institutions at Nuffield College, University of Oxford. Following a PhD at Harvard he taught at the University of Minnesota for several years, becoming a full Professor at Oxford in 2013 at the age of thirty-five. He was made Fellow of the British Academy in 2018, among the youngest fellows at that time. His work has been widely covered in the media, including in The Times, The New York Times, Economist and on BBC Radio 4's 'Start the Week'. He is the Principal Investigator of the multi-million-pound ERC project 'The Politics of Wealth Inequality', co-editor of the most-cited journal in comparative politics and has written three award-winning academic books. This is his first for a general reader.