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The Civic Bargain
How Democracy Survives
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The Civic Bargain
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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?
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Description
A powerful case for democracy and how it can adapt and survive - if we want it to.
Is democracy in trouble, perhaps even dying? Pundits say so, and polls show that most Americans believe that their country's system of governance is being 'tested' or is 'under attack'. But is the future of democracy necessarily so dire? In The Civic Bargain, Brook Manville and Josiah Ober push back against the prevailing pessimism about the fate of democracy around the world.
Instead of an epitaph for democracy, they offer a guide for democratic renewal, calling on citizens to recommit to a 'civic bargain' with one another to guarantee civic rights of freedom, equality, and dignity. That bargain also requires them to fulfil the duties of democratic citizenship: governing themselves with no 'boss' except one another, embracing compromise, treating each other as civic friends, and investing in civic education for each rising generation.
Manville and Ober trace the long progression toward self-government through four key moments in democracy's history: Classical Athens, Republican Rome, Great Britain's constitutional monarchy, and America's founding. Comparing what worked and what failed in each case, they draw out lessons for how modern democracies can survive and thrive.
Manville and Ober show that democracy isn't about getting everything we want; it's about agreeing on a shared framework for pursuing our often conflicting aims. Crucially, citizens need to be able to compromise, and must not treat one another as political enemies. And we must accept imperfection; democracy is never finished but evolves and renews itself continually. As long as the civic bargain is maintained - through deliberation, bargaining, and compromise - democracy will live.
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?
The Civic Bargain by Josiah Ober and Brook Manville is praised for its insightful analysis of democracy and citizen self-rule, highlighting the importance of building a political framework that garners consensus even among dissenting groups. The book is recognised for its fascinating historical accounts and its argument that democracies thrive by forging a 'civic bargain,' which defines citizenship, decision-making, and the sharing of responsibilities. Reviewers appreciate its well-written and accessible approach as a valuable resource for understanding democratic evolution and continuity.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780691218601
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 19 September 2023
Country: United States
Imprint: Princeton University Press
Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Width: 156.0mm
Height: 235.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 312
About the Author
Brook Manville is an independent consultant who writes about politics, democracy, technology, and business. Previously a partner with McKinsey & Co. and an award-winning professor at Northwestern University, he is the author of The Origins of Citizenship in Ancient Athens (Princeton) and A Company of Citizens: What the World's First Democracy Teaches Leaders About Creating Great Organizations (with Josiah Ober).
Josiah Ober is the Constantine Mitsotakis Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences at Stanford University and Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. He is the author of The Rise and Fall of Classical Greece, Democracy and Knowledge: Innovation and Learning in Classical Athens (both Princeton), The Greeks and the Rational: The Discovery of Practical Reason, and other books.
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