Democratic Deficit: Critical Citizens Revisited - Softcover

Norris, Pippa

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0521127440 ISBN 13: 9780521127448

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2011

Synopsis

Many fear that democracies are suffering from a legitimacy crisis. This book focuses on "democratic deficits," reflecting how far the perceived democratic performance of any state diverges from public expectations. Pippa Norris examines the symptoms by comparing system support in more than fifty societies worldwide, challenging the pervasive claim that most established democracies have experienced a steadily rising tide of political disaffection during the third-wave era. The book diagnoses the reasons behind the democratic deficit, including demand (rising public aspirations for democracy), information (negative news about government), and supply (the performance and structure of democratic regimes). Finally, Norris examines the consequences for active citizenship, for governance, and ultimately, for democratization. This book provides fresh insights into major issues at the heart of comparative politics, public opinion, political culture, political behavior, democratic governance, political psychology, political communications, public policymaking, comparative sociology, cross-national survey analysis, and the dynamics of the democratization process.

About this title

Book Description:

Focusing on "democratic deficits," this book reflects on how far the perceived democratic performance of any state diverges from public expectations. Norris examines the reasons behind this phenomenon and analyzes the consequences. The book provides fresh insights into major issues at the heart of the study of comparative politics, public opinion, political culture, and political communications.

About the Author:

Pippa Norris is the McGuire Lecturer in Comparative Politics at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Her work analyzes comparative democratization, elections and public opinion, gender politics, and political communications. Recent companion volumes by this award-winning author, also published by Cambridge University Press, include Sacred and Secular (2004), Driving Democracy (2008) and Cosmopolitan Communications (2009).

About this edition

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0521127440
• ISBN 13: 9780521127448
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 350