03176cam a2200481 i 4500 18083058 BJBSDDR 20250725101017.0 ta 140327s2014 nyu b 001 0 eng 2014001778 9781107043879 hardback 9781107619555 paperback 18083058 DLC eng DLC rda DLC eng pcc n-us--- JC423 .D624 2014 321.8 23 POL040000 bisacsh Dickson, Del 43654 The people's government : an introduction to democracy / Del Dickson, University of San Diego. New York, NY : Cambridge University Press, 2014. xi, 268 pages ; 24 cm text rdacontent unmediated rdamedia volume rdacarrier Includes bibliographical references and index. Machine generated contents note: 1. Liberty and freedom; 2. Freedom or liberty?; 3. Rights; 4. Participation and representation; 5. Inclusion; 6. Equality; 7. Power; 8. The case against democracy; 9. The case for democracy; 10. Paths of democratization; 11. Building a stable democracy; 12. Three misconceptions about democratization; 13. How democracies die; 14. How democratic is the United States?. "The People's Government is premised on the idea that democracy is based on two fundamental rights: freedom and liberty. Many believe these rights are synonymous, but they are actually complementary opposites. Liberty is the right to be left alone, while freedom is the right to participate in a political community. How people view democracy depends on which of these two rights they think is more important. Liberal democrats place a higher value on liberty, while free democrats see freedom as the primary right. From this starting point, the author adds five dimensions to define and distinguish democratic societies: rights, participation and representation, inclusion, equality, and power. Liberal democracies emphasize individualism, negative rights, representative government, inclusive citizenship, equal opportunity, and limited government. Free democracies stress community, positive rights, direct participation, exclusive citizenship, equal outcomes, and robust government. The book examines the most important arguments for and against democracy, and explores the life cycle of democracies - how countries democratize, mature, and fail. Finally, the author uses the five dimensions established earlier to evaluate and grade American democracy"-- Provided by publisher. Democracy. Freedom. Liberty. Democracy United States. POLITICAL SCIENCE / Government / General. bisacsh United States Politics and government. 7 cbc orignew 1 ecip 20 y-gencatlg lcc 0 BK cmc 124428 124428 0 0 lcc 0 0 APT BJB BJB APT 2025-07-25 0 JC423 .D624 2014 00000194903 2025-07-25 14:11:08 1 2025-07-25 BK