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An impassioned guide to opera's political dimension. Taking us on a tour of 200 years of great opera, from "The Marriage of Figaro" to "Nixon in China", Anthony Arblaster uncovers the political dimension of an art form all too often considered as purely aesthetic and reveals opera's full vitality and passion for liberty.
In praise of previous editions: "...brilliant introduction." - New Statesman and Society "From start to finish, Arblaster's book is stimulating and highly readable." - Times Higher Educational Supplement "...an ideal first book to place in the hands of a student embarking on the study of democracy." - Journal of Commonwealth and Comparative Politics What is the meaning of democracy? Why has democracy provoked hostility in the past? Has the hostility entirely vanished? How democratic are contemporary Western societies in reality and how might they be made more democratic? The revised and updated edition of this widely acclaimed survey takes account of the very different global context in whic...
Arblaster finds the core of the idea of democracy in the notion of popular power, and in the second half of his book he explores the meaning of this concept and the problems it creates.
This volume brings together studies of the small number of previously established states that have retained and/or restored democracy despite - in many cases - formidable economic, social or political challenges. It seeks to establish common themes, whether or not they appear to fit a grand casual theory. It is, after all, the very adaptability of democratic systems that characterises their persistence, durability and resilience.
This book will inspire readers who are concerned about the prospects for democracy in contemporary China by painting a picture of the Chinese self-exiles’ experiences in the 1950s and 1960s.
Swift explores how democracy is constricted and deformed by economic power-brokers and a self-serving political class from Birmingham to Bangalore. Including chapter-length discussions of topics such as eco-democracy, democratizing the economy, and democracy in the southern hemisphere, the book is also a guide to the rich diversity of forms of elected government and contains practical ideas for empowering today's voters around the world.
Darryl Trimiew examines current and historical debates regarding economic rights. What is our obligation to the poor, and how are economic rights related to civil and political rights? Beginning with the debate that surrounded President Jimmy Carter's support of economic rights, Trimiew reviews and answers the objections of those who would deny economic rights, and in the process articulates the positions of such figures as Henry Shue, Alan Gewirth, David Hollenbach, and Nicholas Wolterstorff. In addition, he argues that rights based on religion are finally more adequate than those based on purely political grounds. How we as a nation treat the poor goes far towards defining what America is. In this provocative book, Trimiew calls for a renewed obligation to the poor in a way that recognizes the interdependency of economic, political and civil rights.