The Priority of Democracy

Political Consequences of Pragmatism
Erscheinungsjahr 2011
ISBN: 978-0-691-15123-6
Verlag: Princeton University Press

Buch, Englisch, 324 Seiten, Format (B × H): 161 mm x 238 mm, Gewicht: 612 g

Pragmatism and its consequences are central issues in American politics today, yet scholars rarely examine in detail the relationship between pragmatism and politics. In The Priority of Democracy, Jack Knight and James Johnson systematically explore the subject and make a strong case for adopting a pragmatist approach to democratic politics--and for giving priority to democracy in the process of selecting and reforming political institutions. What is the primary value of democracy? When should we make decisions democratically and when should we rely on markets? And when should we accept the decisions of unelected officials, such as judges or bureaucrats? Knight and Johnson explore how a commitment to pragmatism should affect our answers to such important questions. They conclude that democracy is a good way of determining how these kinds of decisions should be made--even if what the democratic process determines is that not all decisions should be made democratically. So, for example, the democratically elected U.S. Congress may legitimately remove monetary policy from democratic decision-making by putting it under the control of the Federal Reserve. Knight and Johnson argue that pragmatism offers an original and compelling justification of democracy in terms of the unique contributions democratic institutions can make to processes of institutional choice. This focus highlights the important role that democracy plays, not in achieving consensus or commonality, but rather in addressing conflicts. Indeed, Knight and Johnson suggest that democratic politics is perhaps best seen less as a way of reaching consensus or agreement than as a way of structuring the terms of persistent disagreement.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Knight, Jack

Johnson, James

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politikwissenschaft Allgemein Politische Theorie, Politische Philosophie
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politische Systeme Demokratie
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politische Systeme Zentralregierung
• Geisteswissenschaften Philosophie Sozialphilosophie, Politische Philosophie
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politikwissenschaft Allgemein Politische Studien zu einzelnen Ländern und Gebieten

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Preface ix
Part One
Chapter 1: Preliminaries 1
Chapter 2: Pragmatism and the Problem of Institutional Design 25
Chapter 3: The Appeal of Decentralization 51
Part Two
Chapter 4: The Priority of Democracy and the Burden of Justification 93
Chapter 5: Reconsidering the Role of Political Argument in Democratic Politics 128
Chapter 6: Refining Reflexivity 167
Part Three
Chapter 7: Formal Conditions: Institutionalizing Liberal Guarantees 193
Chapter 8: Substantive Conditions: Pragmatism and Effectiveness 222
Chapter 9: Conclusion 256
References 287
Index 307

Über Autor(innen)

Jack Knight is professor of political science and law at Duke University and the author of "Institutions and Social Conflict". James Johnson is associate professor of political science at the University of Rochester and former editor of "Perspectives on Politics".