What Democracy Is For: On Freedom and Moral GovernmentPrinceton University Press, 2009 M03 9 - 336 pages In this provocative book, Stein Ringen argues that the world's democracies are failing to live up to their ideals--the United States and Great Britain most especially. The core value of democracy, he contends, is freedom, the freedom to live a good life according to one's own choosing. Yet he shows that democracy's freedom is on the decline. Citizens are increasingly distrustful of political systems weighted by money, and they don't participate in political affairs as they once did. Ringen warns of the risks we face if this trend continues, and puts forth an ambitious proposal for democratic reforms. |
Contents
1 | |
CHAPTER 1 How Good Are the Good Democracies? | 13 |
CHAPTER 2 Is Economic Democracy Available? | 48 |
CHAPTER 3 What Should Welfare States Do? | 72 |
CHAPTER 4 Can We Eradicate Poverty? | 111 |
CHAPTER 5 What Do Families Do? | 149 |
CHAPTER 6 Where Does Freedom Come From? | 184 |
CONCLUSIONS | 217 |
How Good Is the Kindest Democracy? | 256 |
What Does a Good Press Look Like? | 269 |
The FlatTax Issue | 277 |
The BasicMinimumIncome Issue | 279 |
The Index Problem | 283 |
Social Anchorage | 288 |
297 | |
315 | |