Democracy

by Diane Bailey

Overview

Today, the basic ideas underpinning democracy--that government exists for the benefit of the people, and that it must have their consent to be legitimate--may seem obvious. Even dictators pay lip service to these ideas. But the logic of democracy hasn't always been widely accepted. In fact, throughout most of recorded history, nearly all rulers claimed absolute authority. This book traces the long evolution of government "by the people," from its roots in the ancient world to the present day.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781422294543
Publisher:	Mason Crest
Publication date:	09/02/2014
Series:	Major Forms of World Government Series
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	64
Lexile:	1060L (what's this?)
File size:	7 MB
Age Range:	11 - 14 Years

Table of Contents

Introduction Timothy Colton, Chairman Department of Government, Harvard University 4

1 A People's Government 7

2 Ancient Origins 13

3 Evolving Institutions 22

4 The American Way 29

5 Gains and Setbacks 40

6 The Triumph of Democracy? 50

Chapter Notes 58

Chronology 60

Glossary 61

Further Reading 62

Internet Resources 62

Index 63

Contributors 64