Against democracy
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
Against democracy
Princeton University Press, c2016
- : hardcover
Available at 11 libraries
-
National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies Library (GRIPS Library)
: hardcover311.7||B7201418031
Note
Includes bibliographical references and index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
Most people believe democracy is a uniquely just form of government. They believe people have the right to an equal share of political power. And they believe that political participation is good for us--it empowers us, helps us get what we want, and tends to make us smarter, more virtuous, and more caring for one another. These are some of our most cherished ideas about democracy. But, Jason Brennan says, they are all wrong. In this trenchant book, Brennan argues that democracy should be judged by its results--and the results are not good enough. Just as defendants have a right to a fair trial, citizens have a right to competent government. But democracy is the rule of the ignorant and the irrational, and it all too often falls short. Furthermore, no one has a fundamental right to any share of political power, and exercising political power does most of us little good. On the contrary, a wide range of social science research shows that political participation and democratic deliberation actually tend to make people worse--more irrational, biased, and mean.
Given this grim picture, Brennan argues that a new system of government--epistocracy, the rule of the knowledgeable--may be better than democracy, and that it's time to experiment and find out. A challenging critique of democracy and the first sustained defense of the rule of the knowledgeable, Against Democracy is essential reading for scholars and students of politics across the disciplines.
Table of Contents
Preface and Acknowledgments vii 1 Hobbits and Hooligans 1 2 Ignorant, Irrational, Misinformed Nationalists 23 3 Political Participation Corrupts 54 4 Politics Doesn't Empower You or Me 74 5 Politics Is Not a Poem 112 6 The Right to Competent Government 140 7 Is Democracy Competent? 172 8 The Rule of the Knowers 204 9 Civic Enemies 231 Notes 247 Bibliography 265 Index 279
by "Nielsen BookData"