MARC Record from Library of Congress

LEADER: 02984nam a22003018a 4500
001 2010022940
003 DLC
005 20100602102323.0
008 100601s2010 nyu b 001 0 eng
010 $a 2010022940
020 $a9780521823906 (hardback)
020 $a9780521530903 (pbk.)
040 $aDLC$cDLC
042 $apcc
050 00 $aJC143.M4$bM34 2010
082 00 $a321.8$222
100 1 $aMcCormick, John P.,$d1966-
245 10 $aMachiavellian democracy /$cJohn P. McCormick.
260 $aNew York :$bCambridge University Press,$c2010.
263 $a1012
300 $ap. cm.
520 $a"Highlighting previously neglected democratic strains in Machiavelli's major writings, McCormick excavates institutions through which the common people of ancient, medieval, and Renaissance republics constrained the power of wealthy citizens and public magistrates, and he imagines how such institutions might be revived today"--$cProvided by publisher.
520 $a"Intensifying economic and political inequality poses a dangerous threat to the liberty of democratic citizens. Mounting evidence suggests that economic power, not popular will, determines public policy, and that elections consistently fail to keep public officials accountable to the people. John P. McCormick confronts this dire situation through a dramatic reinterpretation of Niccol Machiavelli,'s political thought. Highlighting previously neglected democratic strains in Machiavelli's major writings, McCormick excavates institutions through which the common people of ancient, medieval, and Renaissance republics constrained the power of wealthy citizens and public magistrates, and he imagines how such institutions might be revived today. Machiavellian Democracy fundamentally reassesses one of the central figures in the Western political canon and decisively intervenes into current debates over institutional design and democratic reform. Inspired by Machiavelli's thoughts on economic class, political accountability and popular empowerment, McCormick proposes a citizen body that excludes socioeconomic and political elites and grants randomly selected common people significant veto, legislative, and censure authority within government and over public officials"--$cProvided by publisher.
504 $aIncludes bibliographical references and index.
505 8 $aMachine generated contents note: 1. Introduction: class, liberty, and popular government; Part I: 2. Peoples, patricians, and the prince; 3. Democratic republics and the oppressive appetite of young nobles; Part II: 4. The benefits and limits of popular participation and judgment; 5. Elections, lotteries and class specific institutions; 6. Political trials and 'the free way of life'; Part III: 7. Republicanism and democracy; 8. Post-electoral republics and the people's tribunate revived.
600 10 $aMachiavelli, Niccolò,$d1469-1527.
650 0 $aDemocracy$xHistory$yTo 1500.
650 0 $aDemocracy$xHistory$y16th century.