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  • Experts

Democracy

Most Recommended Books

Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville

“It’s a masterpiece of sociological and political analysis. Tocqueville’s work still helps us understand America, 170 years after he wrote it.”

Stephen Breyer, Lawyer

Read more

Democracy is widely, although not universally, believed to be A Good Thing. But many of both its advocates and detractors insist that examples of real democracy are hard to find. There have been approximations of it, but often the ‘rule of the people’ is subordinate to the rule of a particular section of the people, excludes particular sections of the people, or is a front for the power of vested economic interests. Here our interviews on the subject will help you to decide.

Chris Pelling, Regius Professor of Greek at Oxford, talks about Ancient Greece, including democracy in Athens and elsewhere and ponders whether Athenian standards of direct citizen control could ever be seen again. He also touches on how, even in Ancient Greece, democracies excluded slaves, women and resident foreigners from decision-making, shortcomings that would be reborn in the modern era.

Professor Lyn Hunt looks at the French Revolution, the battles that have raged over its historical interpretation, but argues that it did, in important ways put France on a path to a democratic future, that no amount of bloodletting and reaction could ultimately impede.

Elsewhere, the writer Timothy Garton-Ash talks about free speech, why it is the guarantor of all other liberties and why its definition and preservation are such fraught issues in our modern, globalised and interconnected world. Stephen Breyer, former US Supreme Court Justice talks about the difficulties and complexities of interpreting the constitution and Jamila Michener, of Cornell University, those related to the politics of policy making—that difficult and technical area of democratic government that goes on between elections.

Elsewhere Robert Reich discusses what he sees as the current malaise in American politics and the capture of the democratic system by vested economic interests in his interview on Saving Capitalism and Democracy. Martin Sixsmith, former Moscow correspondent of the BBC chooses his best books on why Russia is not a democracy. Nabil Yaseen looks at democracy in Iraq. And Peter Kellner looks at the best books on British democracy.

John Kampfner of the Index on Censorship chooses his best books on freedom and Marko Rakar, a professional political campaign manager, chooses his best books on how to win elections.

Most recently Anne Applebaum’s latest book, Twilight of Democracy, which tracks how and why so many people abandoned liberal democracy and became far right populists is one of our most recommended books of 2020.

    The best books on Saving Capitalism and Democracy, recommended by Robert Reich

  • Read
    The best books on Saving Capitalism and Democracy - The Promise of American Life by Herbert Croly

    1

    The Promise of American Life
    by Herbert Croly

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    The best books on Saving Capitalism and Democracy - The New Industrial State by John Kenneth Galbraith

    2

    The New Industrial State
    by John Kenneth Galbraith

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    The best books on Saving Capitalism and Democracy - The Wheels of Commerce by Fernand Braudel

    3

    The Wheels of Commerce
    by Fernand Braudel

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    The best books on Saving Capitalism and Democracy - Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville

    4

    Democracy in America
    by Alexis de Tocqueville

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    The best books on Saving Capitalism and Democracy - The Theory of the Leisure Class by Thorstein Veblen

    5

    The Theory of the Leisure Class
    by Thorstein Veblen

The best books on Saving Capitalism and Democracy, recommended by Robert Reich

It’s not the first period in history that American society has suffered from a crisis of inequality. Former labour secretary, Robert Reich, recommends books to help us understand the response of previous generations to the same kinds of challenges we now face.

    The best books on Why Russia isn’t a Democracy, recommended by Martin Sixsmith

  • Read
    The best books on Why Russia isn’t a Democracy - The Russian Tradition by Tibor Szamuely

    1

    The Russian Tradition
    by Tibor Szamuely

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    The best books on Why Russia isn’t a Democracy - War and Peace (Book) by Leo Tolstoy

    2

    War and Peace (Book)
    by Leo Tolstoy

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    The best books on Why Russia isn’t a Democracy - August 1914 by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

    3

    August 1914
    by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

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    The best books on Why Russia isn’t a Democracy - Ten Days that Shook the World by John Reed

    4

    Ten Days that Shook the World
    by John Reed

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    The best books on Why Russia isn’t a Democracy - V D Nabokov and the Russian Provisional Government, 1917 by V D Nabokov

    5

    V D Nabokov and the Russian Provisional Government, 1917
    by V D Nabokov

The best books on Why Russia isn’t a Democracy, recommended by Martin Sixsmith

Former BBC Moscow correspondent Martin Sixsmith chooses five great works on Russia’s doomed democracies

    The best books on Ancient Greece, recommended by Christopher Pelling

  • Read
    The best books on Ancient Greece - The Iliad by Homer

    1

    The Iliad
    by Homer

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    The best books on Ancient Greece - The Histories by Herodotus

    2

    The Histories
    by Herodotus

  • Read
    The best books on Ancient Greece - Medea by Euripides

    3

    Medea
    by Euripides

  • Read
    The best books on Ancient Greece - Democracy: A Life by Paul Cartledge

    4

    Democracy: A Life
    by Paul Cartledge

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    The best books on Ancient Greece - Greek Fire by Oliver Taplin

    5

    Greek Fire
    by Oliver Taplin

The best books on Ancient Greece, recommended by Christopher Pelling

Ancient Greece’s legacy can be seen all around us, including in our political system — but many of us don’t know that much about it. Fortunately, we have someone who has devoted his life to studying this remote time and place to give us a reading list. Chris Pelling, Emeritus Regius Professor of Greek at Oxford, recommends his top five books on Ancient Greece.

    The best books on The Politics of Policymaking, recommended by Jamila Michener

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    The best books on The Politics of Policymaking - Policy Paradox: The Art of Political Decision Making by Deborah Stone

    1

    Policy Paradox: The Art of Political Decision Making
    by Deborah Stone

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    The best books on The Politics of Policymaking - Regulating the Poor: The Public Functions of Welfare by Frances Fox Piven and Richard Cloward

    2

    Regulating the Poor: The Public Functions of Welfare
    by Frances Fox Piven and Richard Cloward

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    The best books on The Politics of Policymaking - The Submerged State: How Invisible Government Policies Undermine American Democracy by Suzanne Mettler

    3

    The Submerged State: How Invisible Government Policies Undermine American Democracy
    by Suzanne Mettler

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    The best books on The Politics of Policymaking - Remaking America: Democracy and Public Policy in an Age of Inequality by (ed.) Jacob Hacker, Joe Soss & Suzanne Mettler

    4

    Remaking America: Democracy and Public Policy in an Age of Inequality
    by (ed.) Jacob Hacker, Joe Soss & Suzanne Mettler

  • Read
    The best books on The Politics of Policymaking - Arresting Citizenship: The Democratic Consequences Of American Crime Control by Amy E Lerman and Vesla M Weaver

    5

    Arresting Citizenship: The Democratic Consequences Of American Crime Control
    by Amy E Lerman and Vesla M Weaver

The best books on The Politics of Policymaking, recommended by Jamila Michener

Inequality is coming not just from the economy; it is coming from politics and policy, says Jamila Michener, assistant professor of government at Cornell University. Here she chooses five books that showcase some of the best, most thought-provoking writing on the politics and consequences of policy.

    The best books on Free Speech, recommended by Timothy Garton Ash

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    The best books on Free Speech - On Liberty by John Stuart Mill

    1

    On Liberty
    by John Stuart Mill

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    The best books on Free Speech - How to Cure A Fanatic by Amos Oz

    2

    How to Cure A Fanatic
    by Amos Oz

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    The best books on Free Speech - Defending My Enemy: American Nazis, the Skokie Case, and the Risks of Freedom by Aryeh Neier

    3

    Defending My Enemy: American Nazis, the Skokie Case, and the Risks of Freedom
    by Aryeh Neier

  • Read
    The best books on Free Speech - Giving Offense: Essays on Censorship by J.M. Coetzee

    4

    Giving Offense: Essays on Censorship
    by J.M. Coetzee

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    The best books on Free Speech - The Master Switch by Tim Wu

    5

    The Master Switch
    by Tim Wu

The best books on Free Speech, recommended by Timothy Garton Ash

Free speech is the bedrock of a healthy society, but how do we deal with the torrents of horrible comments—and worse—we see on the internet every day? Timothy Garton Ash, author of Free Speech: Ten Principles for A Connected World, outlines a plan for navigating the complexities and recommends the best books to help us think about free speech.

    The best books on Democracy in Iraq, recommended by Nabeel Yasin

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    The best books on Democracy in Iraq - The Civic Culture by Gabriel A Almond and Sidney Verba

    1

    The Civic Culture
    by Gabriel A Almond and Sidney Verba

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    The best books on Democracy in Iraq - Inventing Human Rights by Lynn Hunt

    2

    Inventing Human Rights
    by Lynn Hunt

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    The best books on Democracy in Iraq - A Brief History of Citizenship by Derek Heater

    3

    A Brief History of Citizenship
    by Derek Heater

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    The best books on Democracy in Iraq - The Garden of Eden and Its Restoration by Sir William Wilcocks

    4

    The Garden of Eden and Its Restoration
    by Sir William Wilcocks

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    The best books on Democracy in Iraq - Towards the Light by A C Grayling

    5

    Towards the Light
    by A C Grayling

The best books on Democracy in Iraq, recommended by Nabeel Yasin

The Iraqi poet chooses books on civil and human rights. “I want to spread the word. I want people to get more involved in the political process here in Iraq”

    The best books on British Democracy, recommended by Peter Kellner

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    The best books on British Democracy - The Penguin Essays of George Orwell by George Orwell

    1

    The Penguin Essays of George Orwell
    by George Orwell

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    The best books on British Democracy - The British General Election of. . .(Nuffield Series) by Various authors

    2

    The British General Election of. . .(Nuffield Series)
    by Various authors

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    The best books on British Democracy - Essays in Persuasion by John Maynard Keynes

    3

    Essays in Persuasion
    by John Maynard Keynes

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    The best books on British Democracy - Microcosmographia Academica by F M Cornford

    4

    Microcosmographia Academica
    by F M Cornford

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    The best books on British Democracy - Our Nation’s Archive by Edited by Erik Bruun and Jay Crosby

    5

    Our Nation’s Archive
    by Edited by Erik Bruun and Jay Crosby

The best books on British Democracy, recommended by Peter Kellner

Political commentator and President of YouGov.com chooses older books from both sides of the Atlantic to show what really matters in politics.

    The best books on The French Revolution, recommended by Lynn Hunt

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    The best books on The French Revolution - The Ancien Régime and the Revolution by Alexis de Tocqueville

    1

    The Ancien Régime and the Revolution
    by Alexis de Tocqueville

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    The best books on The French Revolution - Interpreting the French Revolution by François Furet

    2

    Interpreting the French Revolution
    by François Furet

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    The best books on The French Revolution - Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution by Simon Schama

    3

    Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution
    by Simon Schama

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    The best books on The French Revolution - Twelve Who Ruled by RR Palmer

    4

    Twelve Who Ruled
    by RR Palmer

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    The best books on The French Revolution - The New Regime by Isser Woloch

    5

    The New Regime
    by Isser Woloch

The best books on The French Revolution, recommended by Lynn Hunt

It’s a revolution that still resonates and yet it resists easy interpretation. Lynn Hunt, a leading historian of the French Revolution, tells us what the events of 1789 and later years really meant, and what relevance they have for us today.

    Stephen Breyer on his Intellectual Influences

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    Stephen Breyer on his Intellectual Influences - Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville

    1

    Democracy in America
    by Alexis de Tocqueville

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    Stephen Breyer on his Intellectual Influences - The Education of Henry Adams by Henry Adams

    2

    The Education of Henry Adams
    by Henry Adams

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    Stephen Breyer on his Intellectual Influences - How to Do Things with Words by JL Austin

    3

    How to Do Things with Words
    by JL Austin

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    Stephen Breyer on his Intellectual Influences - The Plague by Albert Camus

    4

    The Plague
    by Albert Camus

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    Stephen Breyer on his Intellectual Influences - In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust

    5

    In Search of Lost Time
    by Marcel Proust

Stephen Breyer on his Intellectual Influences

US Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer talks about the books that have influenced his thinking and explains why reading widely, including literature, is essential for judges and lawyers.

    The best books on Freedom, recommended by John Kampfner

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    The best books on Freedom - Smoke and Mirrors by Pallavi Aiyar

    1

    Smoke and Mirrors
    by Pallavi Aiyar

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    The best books on Freedom - Yeltsin by Timothy J Colton

    2

    Yeltsin
    by Timothy J Colton

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    The best books on Freedom - Russia, Lost in Transition by Lilia Shevtsova

    3

    Russia, Lost in Transition
    by Lilia Shevtsova

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    The best books on Freedom - Freedom for the Thought That We Hate by Anthony Lewis

    4

    Freedom for the Thought That We Hate
    by Anthony Lewis

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    The best books on Freedom - The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

    5

    The Thing Around Your Neck
    by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The best books on Freedom, recommended by John Kampfner

The veteran British journalist and chief executive of Index on Censorship  discusses five books that address concepts of democracy and freedom

    The best books on How to Win Elections, recommended by Marko Rakar

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    The best books on How to Win Elections - American Gods by Neil Gaiman

    1

    American Gods
    by Neil Gaiman

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    The best books on How to Win Elections - Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson

    2

    Cryptonomicon
    by Neal Stephenson

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    The best books on How to Win Elections - The Election Game and How to Win It by Joseph Napolitan

    3

    The Election Game and How to Win It
    by Joseph Napolitan

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    The best books on How to Win Elections - The Audacity to Win by David Plouffe

    4

    The Audacity to Win
    by David Plouffe

  • Read
    The best books on How to Win Elections - The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

    5

    The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
    by Douglas Adams

The best books on How to Win Elections, recommended by Marko Rakar

The campaigning expert explains what it is that makes a successful political campaign. Highlights The Election Game And How To Win It as the bible for all political consultants

About

We ask experts to recommend the five best books in their subject and explain their selection in an interview.

This site has an archive of more than one thousand interviews, or five thousand book recommendations. We publish at least two new interviews per week.

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