We live in an age of democracy. Very few people challenge the virtues of "government by the people", yet, politicians and commentators are fond of decrying the "crisis of democracy". How do these views square up? This book provides the answer by surveying the philosophical history of democracy and its critics and by analyzing empirical data about citizen participation in Britain and other developed democracies. In addition to analysis of major political thinkers like Plato, Machiavelli and J.S. Mill, the book analyzes how modern technology has influenced democracy. An essential book for students of politics, history and media studies this study puts the debate about democracy into perspective and offers a solid grounding for future discussions.

About the Author(s)

Matt Qvortrup

Matt Qvortrup is Professor of Political Science at the Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen. 

Table of Contents

Introduction * A note on the data * PART I: THEORETICAL ASPECTS OF CITIZEN POLITICS * Understanding citizen politics: a methodological overview * Participation and democracy from the Greeks to our times * PART II: EMPIRICAL FOUNDATIONS OF CITIZEN POLITICS * An empirical approach to citizen politics * Bottom-up politics: riots and extra-parliamentary politics * Top-down initiated citizen politics: E-democracy, citizen juries and designer politics * Citizens as voters * Excursus: The power of the representatives * PART III: CASE STUDIES IN CITIZEN DEMOCRACY * Decisions to hold referendums in the UK * Voting by the people: the referendums on the European constitution * Absentee voting in a comparative perspective * Quo vadis democracy? * References