The theory of democracy revisited cover

The theory of democracy revisited

by Giovanni Sartori

This monumetal and highly erudite work was written by one of the most influential political scientist, comparativist and social science methodologist of the 20th century Giovanni Sartori (1924-2017). The book, consisting of two parts ("The Contemporary Debate" & "The Classical Issues"), provides critical scrutiny of various meanings of democracy since antiquity as well as review of the major democratic theories of our times together with all relevant concepts (such as totalitarianism, authoritarianism) and important methodological issues in the study of politics. Sartori synthesizes a theory of his own emphasizing that in the study of politics ideals (the *ought*) and facts (the *is*) have to be related in feedback fashion. The clarity and dramatic power of this work makes it a must read for anyone interested in politics.

More by Giovanni Sartori

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?