Democracy

de Hanspeter Kriesi, NCCR Democracy Staff, University of Zürich Staff

Is democracy the best form of government? What are the hallmarks of a good democracy? These questions were asked in ancient times and we are still trying to find the answers today. We have learned, at least, that there is no "perfect" democracy ! Democratically-ruled nations try to strike a difficult balance between equality and liberty, as well as between majority and minorities. They try to maintain order in society while allowing for the greatest possible expressions of opinion at the same time. Democracy demands and democracy challenges - and as a system of government, democracy is itself challenged today by globalization and the development of digital media. Against this background, and in light of political and economic events in Asia or in the Arab world, there is another incessant question: is democracy still up-to-date? But of course! Democracies perform generally better and ensure peace more successfully than do other forms of government. Democracy: An Ongoing Challenge illustrates why. This visual reader uses the power of images to complement the text, resulting in a compendium of the history and development of democracy, and offers insight into the contemporary debates--