Revised contributions of a conference--from the introd.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contenidos: Introduction
— Theodore K. Rabb & Ezra N. Suleiman



Pre‑Modern Europe

Conditions for Athenian Democracy — Josiah Ober


Republic and Democracy: On Early Modern Origins of Democratic Theory — Maurizio Viroli


Institutions and Ideas: Planting the Roots of Democracy in Early Modern Europe — Theodore K. Rabb


A Response to Ober, Viroli, and Rabb — George Kateb


Modern Europe

Hope, Disappointment, and Self‑Restraint: Reflections on the Democratic Experiment — Anne Sa’adah


Democracy in Spain: Two Paradigms — Edward Malefakis


Potemkin Democracy — Stephen Holmes


Dilemmas of Democracy in the European Union — Ezra N. Suleiman


Asia, Africa, and the Middle East

Recasting the Primacy of Politics in Israeli Democracy — Asher Arian


Prospects for Democracy in Tropical Africa — Robert L. Tignor


The Nature of South African Democracy: Political Dominance and Economic Inequality — Jeffrey Herbst


Democracy in Turkey — Bernard Lewis


East Asian Democratic Transitions — Kent E. Calder


A Response to Arian, Tignor, and Herbst — Irving Leonard Markovitz


Latin America

Capitalism and Democracy in South America — Jeremy Adelman


Democratic Pathways: Crossroads, Detours, and Dead Ends in Central America — Deborah J. Yashar


United States

The Possibilities for Democracy in America — Jennifer L. Hochschild


Race, Ethnicity, and American Democracy: An (Unguarded) Optimistic View — Sean Wilentz
elmhurst.ecampus.com

Conclusion — Theodore K. Rabb & Ezra N. Suleiman


Index

The Making and Unmaking of Democracy is a broad and engaging collection examining the conditions that either foster or undermine democratic governance. Through essays drawing on contexts from ancient Athens to modern-day Africa and Asia, contributors illuminate how political ideas, economic forces, and structural legacies shape democratic transitions.

Key takeaways include:

Democratic developments are deeply influenced by past regime legacies (e.g., traditional tribal norms) and prevailing economic conditions.

External pressures—especially political and economic—play crucial roles in encouraging democratization, during colonial and postcolonial eras alike.

Democracy flourishes when the state evolves from religious-political authority to one that protects and enhances individual and community rights.


This is an essential reference for students and scholars of political science and history, offering insights into the complex interplay of forces that shape democratic governance.