Democracy and Trust
Title | Democracy and Trust PDF eBook |
Author | Mark E. Warren |
Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
Pages | 386 |
Release | 1999-10-28 |
Genre | Political Science |
ISBN | 9780521646871 |
Explores the implications for democracy of declining trust in government and between individuals.
Social Capital and European Democracy
Title | Social Capital and European Democracy PDF eBook |
Author | Marco Maraffi |
Publisher | Routledge |
Pages | 396 |
Release | 2008-08-28 |
Genre | Political Science |
ISBN | 1134664265 |
The authors of this work examine the dominant view that voluntary activity promotes social capital and hence good government, but also explore alternative models for the creation of social capital. Theoretical discussion is combined with detailed case studies to provide a new explanation of : * the origins and nature of social capital * its effects on political participation and policy-making * the role of the voluntary sector Contributors go on to examine the possibility that current changes in the voluntary sector may in fact undermine social capital and consider the consequences. This book is an important step forward in this rapidly growing field of research and adds a unique European perspective to a debate which has been largely US-focussed.
Social Capital and Democratisation
Title | Social Capital and Democratisation PDF eBook |
Author | Martin Åberg |
Publisher | Routledge |
Pages | 310 |
Release | 2017-09-08 |
Genre | Political Science |
ISBN | 1351899716 |
Contributing an impressive historical basis for path dependency analysis and the role of social capital in newly established democracies, this book offers a fascinating and ground-breaking analysis of the role of social capital in the democratic context of Eastern Europe. Focusing on Poland and Ukraine, this book fills the literature gaps for integrated empirical and theoretical research with respect to post-Communist democratization, social capital vs. democratization theory, and the case study area of Central and Eastern Europe. Suitable for students from graduate level upwards in Central and Eastern European studies, political theory and history.
Social Capital and the Transition to Democracy
Title | Social Capital and the Transition to Democracy PDF eBook |
Author | Gabriel Badescu |
Publisher | Routledge |
Pages | 354 |
Release | 2004-06-01 |
Genre | Political Science |
ISBN | 1134515308 |
The concept of social capital has been used by political scientists to explain both the transition to democracy in Eastern Europe and the decline of social cohesion in Western societies. This edited collection presents the latest quantitative research on how post-communist countries are adapting to Western models of society. The book combines theoretical and institutional analysis with detailed case-studies looking at Russia, Poland, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Romania and the former East Germany.
Active Social Capital
Title | Active Social Capital PDF eBook |
Author | Anirudh Krishna |
Publisher | Columbia University Press |
Pages | 276 |
Release | 2002 |
Genre | Business & Economics |
ISBN | 9780231125703 |
The idea of social capital allows scholars to assess the quality of relationships among people within a particular community and show how that quality affects the ability to achieve shared goals. With evidence collected from sixty-nine villages in India, Krishna investigates what social capital is, how it operates in practice, and what results it can be expected to produce. Does social capital provide a viable means for advancing economic development, promoting ethnic peace, and strengthening democratic governance? The world is richer than ever before, but more than a fifth of its people are poor and miserable. Civil wars and ethnic strife continue to mar prospects for peace. Democracy is in place in most countries, but large numbers of citizens do not benefit from it. How can development, peace and democracy become more fruitful for the ordinary citizen? This book shows how social capital is a crucial dimension of any solution to these problems.
Barriers to Democracy
Title | Barriers to Democracy PDF eBook |
Author | Amaney A. Jamal |
Publisher | Princeton University Press |
Pages | 208 |
Release | 2009-07-06 |
Genre | Political Science |
ISBN | 1400830508 |
Democracy-building efforts from the early 1990s on have funneled billions of dollars into nongovernmental organizations across the developing world, with the U.S. administration of George W. Bush leading the charge since 2001. But are many such "civil society" initiatives fatally flawed? Focusing on the Palestinian West Bank and the Arab world, Barriers to Democracy mounts a powerful challenge to the core tenet of civil society initiatives: namely, that public participation in private associations necessarily yields the sort of civic engagement that, in turn, sustains effective democratic institutions. Such assertions tend to rely on evidence from states that are democratic to begin with. Here, Amaney Jamal investigates the role of civic associations in promoting democratic attitudes and behavioral patterns in contexts that are less than democratic. Jamal argues that, in state-centralized environments, associations can just as easily promote civic qualities vital to authoritarian citizenship--such as support for the regime in power. Thus, any assessment of the influence of associational life on civic life must take into account political contexts, including the relationships among associations, their leaders, and political institutions. Barriers to Democracy both builds on and critiques the multifaceted literature that has emerged since the mid-1990s on associational life and civil society. By critically examining associational life in the West Bank during the height of the Oslo Peace Process (1993-99), and extending her findings to Morocco, Egypt, and Jordan, Jamal provides vital new insights into a timely issue.
Democracies in Flux
Title | Democracies in Flux PDF eBook |
Author | Robert D. Putnam |
Publisher | Oxford University Press |
Pages | 523 |
Release | 2002-08-15 |
Genre | Social Science |
ISBN | 0198034377 |
In his national bestseller Bowling Alone, Robert Putnam illuminated the decline of social capital in the US. Now, in Democracies in Flux, Putnam brings together a group of leading scholars who broaden his findings as they examine the state of social capital in eight advanced democracies around the world. The book is packed with many intriguing revelations. The contributors note, for instance, that waning participation in unions, churches, and political parties seems to be virtually universal, a troubling discovery as these forms of social capital are especially important for empowering less educated, less affluent portions of the population. Indeed, in general, the researchers found more social grouping among the affluent than among the working classes and they find evidence of a younger generation that is singularly uninterested in politics, distrustful both of politicians and of others, cynical about public affairs, and less inclined to participate in enduring social organizations. Yet social capital appears as strong as ever in Sweden, where 40% of the adult population participate in "study circles"--small groups who meet weekly for educational discussions. Social capital--good will, fellowship, sympathy, and social intercourse--is vitally important both for the health of our communities and for our own physical and psychological well being. Offering a panoramic look at social capital around the world, this book makes an important contribution to our understanding of these phenomena and why they are important in today's world.