Open Institutions: The Hope for Democracy

Democratisation involves far more than instituting democratic practices, such as universal suffrage. People must be able to debate issues, have access to diverse sources of information, be able to tolerate viewpoints that are disliked, and have access to every aspect of government. But before today’s society can be considered truly democratic, the entire culture must be democratised, and so ultimately, people will demand autonomy and the freedom required to be self-governed. Yet, as the authors point out, self-government or democracy does not occur in a vacuum. Democracy will occur only when personal autonomy, critical thought, and the desire for self-government are encouraged by social institutions. In this collection, these and other considerations related to participatory democracy are the focus of attention. This volume should be of use to political sociologists and those interested in social change.