Deformations of Democracy

Academics and activists debate current problems of democratic politics and seek ways to renew the ideals of democracy in a climate of disillusionment and cynicism. Taking their inspiration from the work of David Beetham, an eminent scholar of democracy in theory and practice, they analyse features of democratic crisis today, from the rise of authoritarianism to the decline of trust in parliaments. They also introduce Beetham’s work to a contemporary readership. There are new analyses of his writ