Ronald J. Terchek is professor of government and politics at the University of Maryland, College Park, and the author of Republican Paradoxes and Liberal Anxieties: Retrieving Neglected Fragments of Political Theory and Gandhi: Struggling for Autonomy. Thomas C. Conte is an assistant professor at Gettysburg College.

Democracy is not an easy idea, the practice of democracy even more difficult. Theories of Democracy is an important, sophisticated, and smart collection of readings that recalls these simple truths in instructive and often provocative ways. Moving from the origins of democratic aspirations in early liberal and republican theories, through a helpful organization of contemporary theories of democracy, to critiques that seek to extend democracy's reach, Terchek and Conte have made clear that the evolution of democracy is an ongoing project. Concise introductions to each set of readings alert the reader to the choices that we confront in trying to match our democratic hopes to political possibilities. Theories of Democracy demonstrates that democratic values surface in a wide and diverse set of political writings. It also encourages the reader to reflect upon their own position in these debates. This makes the work useful for teaching both undergraduate and graduate students. Democracy is hard work that begins with an appreciation of its complexity. That is a lesson not only for students but for all friends of democracy.

• Part 1 Liberalism and RepublicanismPart 2 The Evolving Liberal TraditionChapter 3 The Second Treatise on Government & An Essay Concerning Human UnderstandingChapter 4 Common SenseChapter 5 "Federalist No. 10"Chapter 6 Democracy in AmericaChapter 7 On Liberty & Considerations on Representative GovernmentChapter 8 A Theory of JusticePart 9 The Civic Republican Tradition and CommunitariansChapter 10 PoliticsChapter 11 The DiscoursesChapter 12 Social ContractChapter 13 "A Modell of Christian Charity"Chapter 14 "The Necessity of Education in a Republican Government"Chapter 15 "Community Properly Used"Part 16 Contemporary Theories of DemocracyPart 17 Protective DemocracyChapter 18 The Political Order of a Free PeopleChapter 19 "The Role of Government in a Free Society"Part 20 Pluralist DemocracyChapter 21 Process of GovernmentChapter 22 Dilemmas of Pluralist DemocracyPart 23 Performance DemocracyChapter 24 Capitalism, Socialism, DemocracyChapter 25 "An Economic Theory of Political Action in a Democracy"Part 26 Participatory DemocracyChapter 27 "Democratic Ends Need Democratic Methods for the Realization"Chapter 28 The Public and its ProblemsChapter 29 Strong DemocracyPart 30 Critiques of Contemporary Democratic Theory and PracticePart 31 The Realist and Neorealist CritiquesChapter 32 Economy and SocietyChapter 33 Future of DemocracyPart 34 Postmodernist CritiquesChapter 35 Power/KnowledgeChapter 36 "Democracy and Normalization"Chapter 37 "Radical Democracy: Modern or Postmodern?"Part 38 Discourse and DemocracyChapter 39 "Three Normative Models of Democracy"Chapter 40 "Liberal/Democratic Divide"Part 41 Pushing for InclusionChapter 42 Engendering DemocracyChapter 43 Race MattersChapter 44 Justice and the Politics of DifferencePart 45 Voices Outside of the WestChapter 46 "Speech at Muir College Economic Society"Chapter 47 Collected Works of Mahatma GandhiChapter 48 No Future without ForgivenessChapter 49 "In Quest of Democracy"Chapter 50 "ConditionalityChapter 51 "The Ten Commandments of Democracy in Haiti"

Ronald J. Terchek is professor of government and politics at the University of Maryland, College Park, and the author of Republican Paradoxes and Liberal Anxieties: Retrieving Neglected Fragments of Political Theory and Gandhi: Struggling for Autonomy. Thomas C. Conte is an assistant professor at Gettysburg College.

Democracy is not an easy idea, the practice of democracy even more difficult. Theories of Democracy is an important, sophisticated, and smart collection of readings that recalls these simple truths in instructive and often provocative ways. Moving from the origins of democratic aspirations in early liberal and republican theories, through a helpful organization of contemporary theories of democracy, to critiques that seek to extend democracy's reach, Terchek and Conte have made clear that the evolution of democracy is an ongoing project. Concise introductions to each set of readings alert the reader to the choices that we confront in trying to match our democratic hopes to political possibilities. Theories of Democracy demonstrates that democratic values surface in a wide and diverse set of political writings. It also encourages the reader to reflect upon their own position in these debates. This makes the work useful for teaching both undergraduate and graduate students. Democracy is hard work that begins with an appreciation of its complexity. That is a lesson not only for students but for all friends of democracy.

• Part 1 Liberalism and RepublicanismPart 2 The Evolving Liberal TraditionChapter 3 The Second Treatise on Government & An Essay Concerning Human UnderstandingChapter 4 Common SenseChapter 5 "Federalist No. 10"Chapter 6 Democracy in AmericaChapter 7 On Liberty & Considerations on Representative GovernmentChapter 8 A Theory of JusticePart 9 The Civic Republican Tradition and CommunitariansChapter 10 PoliticsChapter 11 The DiscoursesChapter 12 Social ContractChapter 13 "A Modell of Christian Charity"Chapter 14 "The Necessity of Education in a Republican Government"Chapter 15 "Community Properly Used"Part 16 Contemporary Theories of DemocracyPart 17 Protective DemocracyChapter 18 The Political Order of a Free PeopleChapter 19 "The Role of Government in a Free Society"Part 20 Pluralist DemocracyChapter 21 Process of GovernmentChapter 22 Dilemmas of Pluralist DemocracyPart 23 Performance DemocracyChapter 24 Capitalism, Socialism, DemocracyChapter 25 "An Economic Theory of Political Action in a Democracy"Part 26 Participatory DemocracyChapter 27 "Democratic Ends Need Democratic Methods for the Realization"Chapter 28 The Public and its ProblemsChapter 29 Strong DemocracyPart 30 Critiques of Contemporary Democratic Theory and PracticePart 31 The Realist and Neorealist CritiquesChapter 32 Economy and SocietyChapter 33 Future of DemocracyPart 34 Postmodernist CritiquesChapter 35 Power/KnowledgeChapter 36 "Democracy and Normalization"Chapter 37 "Radical Democracy: Modern or Postmodern?"Part 38 Discourse and DemocracyChapter 39 "Three Normative Models of Democracy"Chapter 40 "Liberal/Democratic Divide"Part 41 Pushing for InclusionChapter 42 Engendering DemocracyChapter 43 Race MattersChapter 44 Justice and the Politics of DifferencePart 45 Voices Outside of the WestChapter 46 "Speech at Muir College Economic Society"Chapter 47 Collected Works of Mahatma GandhiChapter 48 No Future without ForgivenessChapter 49 "In Quest of Democracy"Chapter 50 "ConditionalityChapter 51 "The Ten Commandments of Democracy in Haiti"