Pippa Norris Book order

A memoir by one of the most influential and ubiquitous underground British musicians of the past thirty years

Challenging conventional views, Pippa Norris explores the complexities of trust in societies, proposing a new four-fold typology that contrasts citizen trust with government competency, integrity, and impartiality. Utilizing data from the European and World Values Surveys across over 100 societies, she highlights the potential dangers of excessive trust in authorities, suggesting that the risks associated with blind faith are often overlooked. Norris's analysis invites a reevaluation of how trust is understood and its implications for governance.

"A culture of trust is usually claimed to have many public benefits, by lubricating markets, managing organizations, legitimating governments, and facilitating collective action. If so, any signs of eroding trust are, and should be, a matter of serious concern. But the broader perspective developed in this book recognizes that trust has two faces, not one. Confidence in anti-vax theories has weakened herd immunity. Faith in Q-Anon conspiracy theories triggered violent insurrection. Disasters flow from gullible beliefs in fake Covid-19 cures, Madoff pyramid schemes and the Big Lie denying President Biden's legitimate election. Trustworthiness involves an informal social contract by which principals authorize agents to act on their behalf in the expectation that they will fulfil their responsibilities with competency, integrity and impartiality, despite conditions of risk and uncertainty. Skeptical judgments reflect reasonably accurate and informed predictions about agents' future actions based on their past performance and guardrails deterring dishonesty, mendacity, and corruption. We should trust but verify. Unfortunately, assessments are commonly flawed. Both cynical beliefs (underestimating performance) and credulous faith (over-estimating performance) involve erroneous judgements reflecting cultural biases, poor cognitive skills, and information echo chambers. These conclusions draw on new evidence from the European Values Survey/World Values Survey conducted among over 650,000 respondents in more than 100 societies over four decades. In Praise of Skepticism warns that an excess of credulous trust poses serious and hitherto unrecognized risks in a world full of seductive demagogues playing on our insecurities, lying swindlers exploiting our greed, and silver-tongued conspiracy theorists manipulating our darkest fears"-- Provided by publisher

Authoritarian populist parties have advanced in many countries, and entered government in states as diverse as Austria, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Switzerland. Even small parties can still shift the policy agenda, as demonstrated by UKIP's role in catalyzing Brexit. Drawing on new evidence, this book advances a general theory why the silent revolution in values triggered a backlash fuelling support for authoritarian-populist parties and leaders in the US and Europe. The conclusion highlights the dangers of this development and what could be done to mitigate the risks to liberal democracy.

Norris counters current pessimism about the effectiveness of democratic programs monitoring and assisting elections worldwide, arguing for international engagement.

"[This book] describes several major challenges observed during the 2016 U.S. elections arising from deepening party polarization over basic voting procedures, the serious risks of hacking and weak cyber-security, the consequences of deregulating campaign spending, and lack of professional and impartial electoral management. [The author] outlines the core concept and measure of electoral integrity, the key yardstick used to evaluate free and fair elections. Evidence from expert and mass surveys demonstrate the extent of problems in American elections. She shows how these challenges could be addressed through several practical steps designed to improve electoral procedures and practices. If implemented, the reforms will advance free and fair elections, and liberal democracy, at home and abroad."-- Back cover

The book explores the reasons behind the failure of elections to align with international standards by contrasting international and institutional perspectives. It delves into various factors that contribute to electoral shortcomings, offering insights into the complexities of the electoral process and the differing interpretations of what constitutes a fair election. Through this analysis, the volume aims to enhance understanding of the challenges faced in achieving democratic norms globally.

This book is the first in a planned trilogy by Pippa Norris on challenges of electoral integrity.

Exploring the rise of radical right parties, this book analyzes their emergence across various democratic contexts. It delves into the social, political, and economic factors that have contributed to their growth, offering insights into the challenges these parties pose to traditional political systems. Through comprehensive research, it examines the implications of this trend for democracy and governance, making it a crucial read for understanding contemporary political dynamics.