This series delves into the intricacies of social and political institutions, exploring how they shape patterns of individual interaction and, in turn, emerge from those interactions. It focuses on the normative aspects of these relationships, offering a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary perspective on a wide range of institutions. Readers can expect profound analyses that transcend disciplinary boundaries, examining how our societies are molded by the structures we ourselves create.
In this book, Bo Rothstein examines 'social traps' where distrust prevents cooperation, despite mutual benefits. He explores how social capital and trust can be fostered through universal political institutions and policies promoting equality. Rothstein introduces collective memory theory to propose how these institutions can be created.
Offering a thorough examination of a crucial but often overlooked aspect of the American welfare state, this book delves into its historical context and implications. It highlights the intricacies and dynamics that shape welfare policies, providing insights into their development and impact on society. By addressing this gap in existing literature, the work contributes to a deeper understanding of welfare systems and their role in American life.
The Moral and Political Logic of the Universal Welfare State
The book defends the universal welfare state against significant criticisms by exploring its ties to civil society, the impact of social service privatization, and evolving societal values. Rothstein highlights the diverse moral and political logics shaping contemporary welfare states, attributing these variations to the intentional decisions made by political institutions. This work contributes meaningfully to ongoing philosophical and political discussions regarding the welfare state's future.
The book explores the relationship between community investment and the quality of public services. It highlights how individuals' engagement and commitment to their neighborhoods can significantly influence the effectiveness and availability of essential services. Through various case studies and analyses, it delves into the dynamics of community involvement, illustrating the crucial role that local stakeholders play in shaping public service outcomes.
How are we to handle the tension between expertise and democracy? Developing a democratic model of expert authority, this book describes the ways in which civil society, expert institutions, and democratic innovations can contribute to its production. It addresses deliberative democrats, but will also interest scholars working in environment, health policy, and science communication.
The book explores the challenges encountered by former communist states in their transition to democracy and market economies. It delves into the political, social, and economic obstacles these nations face as they strive to establish new governance structures and integrate into the global market. Through analysis, it highlights the complexities of this transformation and the various strategies employed to overcome these issues.
The book delves into how electoral systems impact divided societies, focusing on "vote-pooling" mechanisms in countries like Papua New Guinea and Sri Lanka. It argues that political institutions fostering broad-based parties and incentivizing politicians to appeal to diverse ethnic groups can promote moderate political competition. This approach challenges traditional views on democracy and conflict management, suggesting that such systems can play a vital role in shaping democratization in transitional states.
Focusing on democratic innovations globally, this book explores various approaches and their implications for enhancing democratic theory and practice. It highlights successful examples and offers insights that aim to inform future developments in democratic governance. Through this examination, the work seeks to contribute to a deeper understanding of how democracy can evolve and adapt in contemporary society.
A major new statement of deliberative theory that shows how states, even transnational systems, can be deliberatively democratic.
Federal Trust Funds and the Politics of Commitment
Offering an in-depth analysis, this book explores a crucial but often overlooked aspect of the American welfare state. It sheds light on the complexities and implications of this feature, aiming to enhance understanding of social policies and their impact on society. Through thorough research and critical insights, it reveals the significance of this area in the broader context of welfare and social justice in America.
'Deliberative democracy' is often dismissed as a set of small-scale, academic experiments. This volume seeks to demonstrate how the deliberative ideal can work as a theory of democracy on a larger scale. It provides a new way of thinking about democratic engagement across the spectrum of political action, from towns and villages to nation states, and from local networks to transnational, even global systems. Written by a team of the world's leading deliberative theorists, Deliberative Systems explains the principles of this new approach, which seeks ways of ensuring that a division of deliberative labour in a system nonetheless meets both deliberative and democratic norms. Rather than simply elaborating the theory, the contributors examine the problems of implementation in a real world of competing norms, competing institutions and competing powerful interests. This pioneering book will inspire an exciting new phase of deliberative research, both theoretical and empirical.
