Giovanni Sartori

This book is a brilliant examination of democracy-the practice and the ideal. It marshalls philosophic arguments and factual evidence to consider democracy's political and juridical, economic and social problems. The author writes with the rigor of the logician, the insight of the historian, and the alertness of the semanticist.

In view of the United States' world-wide responsibilities, an examination of the concept and implications of democracy is one of the most important tasks before us. Americans need to know more about how our system of government and beliefs are viewed by the rest of the world. Face-to-face diplomacy at the summit needs to be bolstered by citizen support, implemented by authoritative analysis by philosophers and political scientists. Democratic Theory is a modern scion, and is in the classic tradition of  Tocqueville's and of Bryce's great works.