The Decline and Rise of Democracy

David Stasavage

Published by Princeton University Press 2020

The Decline and Rise of Democracy

A Global History from Antiquity to Today

David Stasavage

Volume 96 in the series The Princeton Economic History of the Western World

https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691201955

Overview
Contents

About this book

A new understanding of how and why early democracy took hold, how modern democracy evolved, and what this teaches us about the future

Historical accounts of democracy’s rise tend to focus on ancient Greece and pre-Renaissance Europe. The Decline and Rise of Democracy draws from global evidence to show that the story is much richer—democratic practices were present in many places, at many other times, from the Americas before European conquest, to ancient Mesopotamia, to precolonial Africa. Delving into the prevalence of early democracy throughout the world, David Stasavage makes the case that understanding how and where these democracies flourished—and when and why they declined—can provide crucial information not just about the history of governance, but about the ways modern democracies work and where they could manifest in the future.

Drawing from examples spanning several millennia, Stasavage first considers why states developed either democratic or autocratic styles of governance and argues that early democracy tended to develop in small places with a weak state and, counterintuitively, simple technologies. When central state institutions (such as a tax bureaucracy) were absent—as in medieval Europe—rulers needed consent from their populace to govern. When central institutions were strong—as in China or the Middle East—consent was less necessary and autocracy more likely. He then explores the transition from early to modern democracy, which first took shape in England and then the United States, illustrating that modern democracy arose as an effort to combine popular control with a strong state over a large territory. Democracy has been an experiment that has unfolded over time and across the world—and its transformation is ongoing.

Amidst rising democratic anxieties, The Decline and Rise of Democracy widens the historical lens on the growth of political institutions and offers surprising lessons for all who care about governance.

Author information

David Stasavage is dean for the social sciences and the Julius Silver Professor of Politics at New York University. His books include Taxing the Rich and States of Credit (both Princeton). Twitter @stasavage

Reviews

"This significant book explains the origins and progression of democracy: why it thrived when it did, why it failed to appear in other circumstances, and where it is more likely to develop in the future. Building on a persuasive new argument about the causes behind democracy’s emergence, and bringing together data and fascinating examples, The Decline and Rise of Democracy makes a novel contribution to a range of social science fields."—Philip T. Hoffman, California Institute of Technology

"The Decline and Rise of Democracy shows that early democracy is much more prevalent than often thought and that the sequence of how a democracy forms matters. Making original arguments, and drawing on a wide range of historical data, this book presents a bold theory and a wealth of new information. An important and welcome entrant in democracy studies."—Josiah Ober, Stanford University

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
Figures Publicly Available Download PDF	ix
Preface Publicly Available Download PDF	xi
Part I. Early Democracy
1. Origins of Democratic Rule Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	3
2. Early Democracy Was Widespread Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	29
3. Weak States Inherited Democracy Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	62
4. When Technology Undermined Democracy Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	79
Part II. The Divergence
5. The Development of Representation in Europe Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	101
6. China as the Bureaucratic Alternative Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	138
7. How Democracy Disappeared in the Islamic World Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	166
8. Democracy and Economic Development over the Long Run Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	181
Part III. Modern Democracy
9. Why England Was Different Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	197
10. Democracy—and Slavery—in America Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	225
11. The Spread of Modern Democracy Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	256
12. The Ongoing Democratic Experiment Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	296
Acknowledgments Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	309
Notes Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	311
Bibliography Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	349
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	391
A NOTE ON THE TYPE Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	411