Problems of Democratic Transition and Consolidation: Southern Europe, South America, and Post-Communist Europe (Signed and Inscribed to Daniel Bell)

Juan J. Linz & Alfred Stepan

ISBN 10: 0801851580 / ISBN 13: 9780801851582

Published by The John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore in London, 1996

About this Item

First Edition (Number Line to 1). This book came from the library of renowned sociologist Daniel Bell. It is inscribed by both authors to Mr. Bell. Once listed, it will be the Only copy for sale that is signed. It will also be the Only signed copy of any of Juan Linz's books. The inscription from him reads ' For Dan an old, old friend. Too bad we did not teach a seminar in this (the book would've been better), most cordially, Juan.' Below that is the second inscription: 'with warm memories of our good conversation at your home, Al Stepan.' 'Daniel Bell is best known for his contributions to post-industrialism. His most influential books are The End of Ideology, The Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism, and The Coming of Post-Industrial Society. Two of these, the End of Ideology and the Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism were listed by the Times Literary Supplement as among the 100 most important books in the second half of the twentieth century. Besides Bell only Isaiah Berlin, Claude Lévi-Strauss, Albert Camus, George Orwell and Hannah Arendt, had two books so listed.' As you can see from the photos, the covers are in exceptional condition, perfectly clean and free of wear. The book is square and very solidly bound from cover to cover with nicely tight pages throughout. There are no binding issues. The pages are exceptionally clean. I'm scrolling through without finding any soiling anywhere. I'm not seeing any creasing. There are no markings or attachments. And with the exception of the authors signed inscriptions, no one has written their name or anything else anywhere in the book. 'Juan José Linz was a Spanish sociologist and political scientist. He was Sterling Professor Emeritus of Sociology and Political Science at Yale University and an honorary member of the Scientific Council at the Juan March Institute. He is best known for his theories on totalitarian and authoritarian systems of government.' 'Alfred C. Stepan was a comparative political scientist and Wallace S. Sayre Professor of Government at Columbia University, where he was also director of the Center for the Study of Democracy, Toleration and Religion.' 'Since their classic volume The Breakdown of Democratic Regimes was published in 1978, Juan J. Linz and Alfred Stepan have increasingly focused on the questions of how, in the modern world, nondemocratic regimes can be eroded and democratic regimes crafted. In Problems of Democratic Transition and Consolidation, they break new ground in numerous areas. They reconceptualize the major types of modern nondemocratic regimes and point out for each type the available paths to democratic transition and the tasks of democratic consolidation. They argue that, although "nation-state" and "democracy" often have conflicting logics, multiple and complementary political identities are feasible under a common roof of state-guaranteed rights. They also illustrate how, without an effective state, there can be neither effective citizenship nor successful privatization. Further, they provide criteria and evidence for politicians and scholars alike to distinguish between democratic consolidation and pseudo-democratization, and they present conceptually driven survey data for the fourteen countries studied. Problems of Democratic Transition and Consolidation contains the first systematic comparative analysis of the process of democratic consolidation in southern Europe and the southern cone of South America, and it is the first book to ground post-Communist Europe within the literature of comparative politics and democratic theory. "This is an important volume by two major scholars on a central topic--one of broad interest to people in comparative politics, to those interested in democracy, and two regional specialists on Southern Latin America and on Central and Eastern Europe. The book will unquestionably be a major contribution to the literature on constructing democratic governance." --Abraham F. Lowenthal, USC. Seller Inventory # 003067

Bibliographic Details

Title: Problems of Democratic Transition and ...

Publisher: The John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore in London

Publication Date: 1996

Binding: Soft cover

Condition: Fine

Signed: Inscribed by Author(s)

Edition: 1st Edition

About this title

Synopsis:

Since their classic volume The Breakdown of Democratic Regimes was published in 1978, Juan J. Linz and Alfred Stepan have increasingly focused on the questions of how, in the modern world, nondemocratic regimes can be eroded and democratic regimes crafted. In Problems of Democratic Transition and Consolidation, they break new ground in numerous areas. They reconceptualize the major types of modern nondemocratic regimes and point out for each type the available paths to democratic transition and the tasks of democratic consolidation. They argue that, although "nation-state" and "democracy" often have conflicting logics, multiple and complementary political identities are feasible under a common roof of state-guaranteed rights. They also illustrate how, without an effective state, there can be neither effective citizenship nor successful privatization. Further, they provide criteria and evidence for politicians and scholars alike to distinguish between democratic consolidation and pseudo-democratization, and they present conceptually driven survey data for the fourteen countries studied.

Problems of Democratic Transition and Consolidation contains the first systematic comparative analysis of the process of democratic consolidation in southern Europe and the southern cone of South America, and it is the first book to ground post-Communist Europe within the literature of comparative politics and democratic theory.

About the Authors:

Juan J. Linz is Sterling Professor Emeritus of Political and Social Science at Yale University. In addition to the works coauthored and coedited with Professor Stepan, Professor Linz has published works on democracy, democratization, and comparative politics, including Sultanistic Regimes, also published by Johns Hopkins.

Alfred Stepan is the Wallace Sayre Professor of Government at Columbia University. His books include Democracies in Danger, Problems of Democratic Transition and Consolidation, and The Breakdown of Democratic Regimes, all also published by Johns Hopkins, the last two with Juan J. Linz.