Democracy

by James Laxer

Democracy explains the rise of this form of government and how women and minorities struggled for and won democratic rights for themselves. In clear prose, author James Laxer relates the story of the replacement of Communist regimes in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe by ostensibly democratic political systems. In some of these countries, he argues, democracy has flourished, while in others authoritarianism is on the rise. Showcasing examples from all over the world, the book examines the current status of democracy in both developed and developing nations. Throughout, Laxer demonstrates that democracy is about much more than the right to vote, warning readers that globalization and the widening gap between rich and poor threatens to weaken democracy and the vigor of democratic regimes — even in countries where it has been long established. Only sustainable environmental policies and basic economic fairness, says Laxer, offer hope for democracy’s survival.

Genres: Politics

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

James Laxer was a Canadian political economist and professor at York University.

Reviews

[Waissera · Rating 3 out of 5]

Democracy/Mr.Cornwell-Wright/3B/7th
This book is political and nonfiction.
It has 144 pages.
This book has no Lexile score.
Democracy is a book that shows the history of democracy and how it has changed. Also,it shows what democracy is, including the original democracy. Laxer does a great job predicting the future of democracy too. Although two page long pop up notes are annoying and distract you of the book, they are informative. The book also has examples of times without democracy and everything that had to be done so it was reached. Laxer does a great job bringing the story of humanity and democracy together to create a good, informative book.

[Dooug · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would not recommend this book. I have no expertise in world history or politics, so the idea of a short guide on the topic of democracy was appealing. The book has a general structure but each chapter seems to ramble often lacking transitions within the subtopics. I consider this to be an okay read to get a general idea of a big topic, but it felt very inconsistent on the focus and detail on each topic. In my opinion, the book failed to be either a quick overview or a comprehensive guide. My time would have been better spent reading through Wikipedia articles.

[Sophia]

how being a President is not an easy thing and not everybody will like you but you have to keep trying and the work will never actually stop