Social Structures Of Direct Democracy: On The Political Economy Of Equality

John Asimakopoulos, Ph.D., is Full Professor of Sociology at the City University of New York and executive director of the Transformative Studies Institute (TSI), an educational think tank. He has advanced degrees in and has taught sociology, political science, and economics resulting in a unique interdisciplinary perspective. Asimakopoulos is author of Revolt! and The Accumulation of Freedom. He has published many journal articles, book chapters, and is editor in chief of Theory in Action, an interdisciplinary peer-reviewed journal focusing on scholar-activism.

"Social Structures of Direct Democracy is a lucid and powerful analysis of the threat that inequality poses to any viable democracy while also providing a brilliant analysis of the mechanisms that make it so savage and unsustainable. But the book provides more than a critique of inequality, it also offers a stirring program for change at a time when democracy is under dire siege. A must read for anyone concerned about the fate of democracy in the United States."—Henry Giroux, Director Center for Research in the Public Interest, McMaster University, Canada“Ambitious in scope, timely in content, and rigorous in argumentation and analysis, John Asimakopoulos’ Social Structures of Direct Democracy promises to make a significant and lasting contribution to contemporary discussions in democratic theory and political economy. By combining the utopian ethical ideal of the libertarian socialist tradition with the technical precision and analytic cohesiveness of Marxism and classical political economy, Asimakopoulos offers a fresh and innovative perspective on the present and future of democracy, both political and economic, around the globe. The book deserves praise for its interdisciplinary breadth and critical depth.”— Nathan Jun, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Midwestern State University“Social Structures of Direct Democracy will undoubtedly make an impressive and timely contribution to the literature. The excellent structure, original focus and critical content will ensure that the book enjoys a broad appeal across a range of academic disciplines, at all levels. Indeed, anyone with an interest in (engaging with) new, wonderfully alternative responses to address the current political and economic crisis should buy this book now!”— Dr. Richard J White, Senior Lecturer in Economic Geography, Sheffield Hallam University, UK.“John Asimakopoulos offers a provocative, sharp analysis of matters that are often discussed, but rarely understood, as shaping the larger political discourse of our day. He examines the complexities of movements as well as strategies aimed at winning victories for the working class. His words are certain to change the way you see our potential.”— Ernesto Aguilar, Editor, Political Media Review

• Foreword by Mark ZepezauerAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Theory, Praxis, and ChangeThe Ragged Edge of Anarchy: Direct DemocracyMutualismCollectivismCommunist AnarchismConflict TheoryWhy Capitalism Must Always CollapseThe Relationship between Change and RadicalismStructural Limitations to ChangeInsurrection versus RevolutionDoes Direct Democracy Require Small-scale SocietiesMcDonald’s Iron Cage2. Relations of AuthorityThe Fraud of Representative DemocracyThe Best Democracy Money Can BuyStealing Democracy Old SchoolPolitical PartiesA Path to Direct DemocracyEconomic AuthorityPolitical AuthorityConstitution3. Material RelationsEconomic Utilities of Direct DemocracyRelations of ConsumptionResource UseWhat to ProduceHow to ProduceCan the System Adapt?4. Social StructureCulture and Social IntegrationOrganizing Principles of Social StructureInstitutions and SocializationCompulsion and DisciplineJournalismThe Social Network: The Future that Can be NowConclusion: No Islands of Egalitarianism in a Sea of InequalityAfterword by Richard Gilman-Opalsky: What Can Grow in the Graveyard for Orthodoxies?BibliographyIndex