The Democratic Wish: Popular Participation and the Limits of American Government, Revised Edition [Paperback]

James A. Morone (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0300074654 | ISBN-13: 978-0300074659 | Publication Date: January 21, 1998 | Edition: Revised

This prize-winning book reinterprets more than 200 years of American political history as the interplay between the public's dread of government power and its yearning for communal democracy. James Morone argues that Americans will never solve their collective problems as long as they instinctively fear all public power as a threat to liberty. This revised edition includes a new final chapter about contemporary populism, government bashing, and democratic wishes.

"The Democratic Wish merits the highest compliments one can accord a public policy book. It spotlights a problem that can no longer be evaded. And it makes you think". -- Alan Tonelson, New York Times Book Review

"Morone writes with flair and passion. The fact that he puts forth a provocative argument and provides concise histories of labor, civil rights, and health care politics makes this book especially useful for teaching American politics". -- R. Shep Melnick, Journal of Interdisciplinary History

"Morone's contribution to our understanding of state building ... is substantial and profound". -- John S. Dryzek, American Political Science Review

"This stimulating reinterpretation of American political history will interest both scholars concerned about the past and citizens concerned about the future". -- Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press; Revised edition (January 21, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300074654
• ISBN-13: 978-0300074659
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #605,212 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!, July 14, 2006

By 

David A. Beyer "Undergraduate" (Providence, RI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Democratic Wish: Popular Participation and the Limits of American Government, Revised Edition (Paperback)

The book is a kind of one-two punch. It surveys American history and boils it down to a very neat equation. Americans yearn for an idyllic democracy, images of bucolic grace and wonderful heartland values as much as hard-boiled grit in facing injustice. Because we yearn, we look to democratize bad or corrupt systems. This is when interests come together under the fragile bond of this Deomcratic Wish. The corrupt system is revamped. But lo, the interests have split--bedlam! Everyone is scrambling to fatten themselves with more power. The original sight is lost to power-hunger. As a result, we have more bureaucracy, pitted against itself. This only attenuates what started the whole thing, the "Democratic Wish." The original voices for reform are muffled by the pit-sessions of bureaucracy bidding for power, juiced up on the short-term. This text can be used just as much to gain insight into political science as into American history. It's actually quite brilliant, timely and certainly engaging.

5.0 out of 5 stars book review, July 13, 2010

By 

mp - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Democratic Wish: Popular Participation and the Limits of American Government, Revised Edition (Paperback)

a superb writer, tremendous amount of knowledge kudos to James. He has a very particular skill of marking coherent words on paper. Quick witted, smart and very intuitive. The book is insightful I highly recommend.

Michael