Democracy in Britain: A Reader [Hardcover]

Jack Lively (Author), Adam Lively (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0631188290 | ISBN-13: 978-0631188292 | Publication Date: June 1994

This volume traces and illustrates the debate on representative democracy in Britain from its origins to the present. Drawing on a range of sources (from formal works of social and political theory to fiction and poetry), it presents the conflicting opinions and views of politicians and writers on all the important aspects of this debate. Successive chapters cover: the constitution (written and unwritten); the balance of powers between different groups in society; the social contract and the nature of freedom under the law; the powers of Parliament, Cabinet, the Prime Minister and the Opposition; the role of the MP; the enfranchisement of women; freedom of speech; the representation of minorities; and other key issues. The volume ends with a chapter on the possibilities and problems of a democratic culture. This introductory reader should be of interest to all students and teachers of political thought, as well as by all those concerned to understand the nature of Britain's representative democracy.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An intelligent collection that brings disparate figures and ideas into fruitful dialogue." New Statesman & Society

"This is not an average anthology. At its best, which is much of the time, it is a sustained and marshalled analysis, a wide-ranging dialectical thesis with witnesses for both the prosecution and defence, a historical examination of the continuing, unresolved - and intensely topical - debate about democracy and the nature of the British state." The Guardian

"This collection of essays has something to enrage, inform, and sometimes startle everyone in Britain interested in how we got to here. More fleshed out than a dictionary, it is nevertheless full of succinct definitions." The Observer --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From the Back Cover

Democracy in Britain is an indispensable guide to the constitutional and political issues regarding representative and democratic institutions in Britain. As much a literary anthology as a political reader, it includes a rich and varied selection of key writings, from the debates around Britain's representative and democratic institutions, from constitutional commentary and diaries to poetry and fiction; from Locke and Burke to Dryden and Auden; and from Magna Carta to Spycatcher. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Blackwell Pub (June 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0631188290
• ISBN-13: 978-0631188292
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,942,026 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars readable, enjoyable, excellent, November 5, 2000

By 

"daniel_sp" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Democracy in Britain: A Reader (Paperback)

Jack and Adam Lively have managed to put together a throughly interesting and at the same time enjoyable reader on Democracy in Britian. The most notable feature is the range of texts included: there are texts by philiosophers (Hobbes, Locke...), Politicians (Disrael, Thatcher...) and from debates in parliament as well as Shakespeare, Auden and even Rushdi. Because the authors have NOT only included specialised texts by experts on the constitutions they manage to convey the picture of a living democracy whith all its problems, issues and controversies. I would argue that many of the questions that are dealt with are also important in other countries. In this sense, the book transgresses its original purpose.