Written by the preeminent democratic theorist of our time, this book explains the nature, value, and mechanics of democracy. In a new introduction to this Veritas edition, Ian Shapiro considers how Dahl would respond to the ongoing challenges democracy faces in the modern world.

“Within the liberal democratic camp there is considerable controversy about exactly how to define democracy. Probably the most influential voice among contemporary political scientists in this debate has been that of Robert Dahl.”—Marc Plattner, New York Times

“An excellent introduction for novices, as well as a trusty handbook for experts and political science mavens.”—Publishers Weekly ( )

Really dry and hard to read in places, but the ideas Dahl talks about are incredibly useful for understanding what makes democracy function. ( )

容易上手的入門書，篇幅不大，由於現今國民教育缺乏良好的民主相關教材，因此相當適合每個台灣公民研讀

Brief summary of democratic theory. Differences between the ideal and what we get in reality.

In Dahl's view, no government in the world has lived up to the Platonic ideal of Democracy, but some have made significant progress in both the number of democracies and the expansion of the electorate in the latter half of the 20th century. Talks about the legal and philosophical justifications of equality, of course given the fact that no two people are identical nor equal.

What factors constitute an actual democracy?

1) Elected officials
2) Free, fair, and frequent elections
3) Freedom of expression
4) Alternative sources of information
5) Associational autonomy
6) Inclusive citizenship

For our example, the United States, 2 may be modestly disputed owing to the massive financial requirements needed to conduct a successful political campaign, especially after the Citizens United case, and Factor 4 as well, owing to the monopolistic views of corporate media. Although there is progress on the latter, with alternative internet and media sources gaining traction against the old hegemonic TV stations.

By contrast, Putin's Russia is more non-democratic, with 2, 3, 4, and 5 under heavy restrictions.

A brief and informative summary of democracy studies. Although such statements may seem so obvious they are almost pablum to most Americans, they are still valuable concepts which earn much from further study. ( )

Dahl is at Yale at a top Ivy League Department. Issues of Democracy affect us all, this is a guy and a book to start one's learning. ( )