Is Democracy Failing?: A primer for the 21st century

Description

The Big Idea shortlisted for series design in the British Design and Production Awards Only four countries around the world do not currently define themselves as democracies. But many more do not fulfil the four basic requirements of democracy: free and fair elections, active participation of citizens in politics, protection of human rights, and the rule of law. Since 2015, far-right and populist politicians have been on the rise throughout the West. Is populism the new face of democracy? Is democracy simply the will of the people? Can any existing government claim to be truly democratic? This captivating, articulate volume explores and interrogates each form of democracy and questions whether they remain fit for purpose today.

Niheer Dasandi is a lecturer at the School of Government and Society at the University of Birmingham. He completed his doctorate in Political Science at UCL in 2013, before which he spent two years working for the United Nations Development Programme. His research interests broadly focus on the politics of developing countries and the international political economy. Matthew Taylor is Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation. Prior to that he was for 15 years Chief Executive of the RSA, a 250-year-old British institution devoted to enriching society through ideas and action to deliver a 21st-century enlightenment. A writer, public speaker and broadcaster, he has written numerous articles on policy, politics, public service reform and cultural theory, and frequently appears on Newsnight, The Daily Politics, and Radio 4's Today and The Moral Maze. He was previously General Secretary and Chief Executive of the Institute for Public Policy Research, Britain's leading think tank.

'A kind of choose-your-own-adventure using fonts: paragraphs are set in type of differing sizes depending on their importance' - The Bookseller