One of our most essential political thinkers offers a vital account of democracy in the twenty-first century
Jan-Werner M ller is Professor of Politics at Princeton University and the author of several books, most recently the critically acclaimed What Is Populism? He contributes regularly to London Review of Books, the Guardian, and the New York Review of Books.
Lively. . . This is one of those rare books about a pressing
subject that reads less like a forced march than an inviting stroll
. . . A book that encourages thinking, observation and
discernment
*The New York Times*
My first holiday book is Jan-Werner Müller's Democracy Rules, an
extraordinarily timely investigation of what is happening to our
increasingly fragile democracies, from the US to India. It is
learned but clearly written, and always intelligent, open-minded
and morally engaged
*The Times*
One of the most notable Western voices on the subject of populism.
. . Müller is not an alarmist. . . he seeks to recover the 'spirit'
of democratic politics
*Literary Review*
As a learned political observer, Jan-Werner Müller crosses many
borders. He writes for the academy and the broader public. As a
German teaching at Princeton University, he understands Europe and
the US. He is at ease with data-minded social science, the history
of ideas and political philosophy. . . With breadth of view go
clarity and economy. His books are usually brisk and to the
point
*Financial Times*
Müller has established himself as a subtle and wide-ranging thinker
on matters of governance. His book promises to make sense of the
present political moment and its substantial dangers. . . and
offers a robust defence of democracy. . . engaging and
substantial
*TLS*
Compelling. . . a welcome return to democratic first principles. .
. the merit of Müller's book is to restate them with admirable
clarity
*Prospect*
In elegant and incisive terms, Democracy Rules makes clear that
proponents of liberal democracy must reclaim fundamental democratic
principles and values
*Foreign Affairs*
With characteristic brio and intellectual resourcefulness,
Jan-Werner Müller invites us to rethink our fundamental political
notion. He not only defuses much apocalyptic talk about the decay
of democracy in this salutary book; he alerts us to its
undiminished appeal and untested possibilities
*Pankaj Mishra*
Erudite and urbane, but never condescending or ponderous,
Jan-Werner Müller has been the greatest theoretician of what is
happening to democracy in our time. Saving democracy, he proposes,
requires knowing what it is first, and attending to its
infrastructure. Never complacent, and never despairing, this book
survives the wreckage of prognostications of democracy's death and
doom in the populist era
*Samuel Moyn*
A superb work of democratic theory, passionately argued and
elegantly written
*Ivan Krastev*
Democracy Rules captures the essence of our political moment. It
clarifies the fundamental features of modern democracy and populism
- following its arguments from the US to India. It is engaging and
engaged, without ever being partisan. It is based on deep academic
learning, but its arguments are clear, principled, and accessible.
It makes a profound moral case that should matter to all our
politicians and citizens today. This is political thought at its
best
*Rory Stewart*
In this brilliant book, Jan-Werner Müller imagines a democratic
politics that is fluid, creative, messy, and dynamic in defining
who we are as a people and offering a path forward
*Ro Khanna*
Few people are as well-equipped as Jan-Werner Müller to assess
today's heated debates about democracy with a judiciousness deeply
informed by history, international politics and social science.
With unerring realism he examines the critical conditions necessary
for democracies to function, reminding us of the essential role
played by intermediary institutions such parties, the idea of the
loyal opposition, and the free press. This realism is at the heart
of his fundamental prescription; while we may not have grounds for
optimism, we must find a sound basis for hope
*Tamsin Shaw*
 |
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
