On Democracy

Rating:
Summary: Ideal Democracy, plain and simple
Review: Dahl brings up a few fascinating points in this book about the manners in which democracy is achieved and what conditions favor or disfavor democracy. He explains the system of Guardianship and the pros and cons of it (I'm under the impression that America is more of a Guardianship system than a democratic one), and points out the advantages and disadvantages of factions and interest groups which are predominant in America.

Dahl is very idealistic in his views of democracy, but he realizes this and labels one section of the book "Ideal Democracy" and another section "Actual Democracy." However, this implies to me that democracy can never be achieved. If the merits of democracy in its ideal form can never be achieved (as Dahl suggests), how can we label anything as "actual" - it seems to me that something like democracy should not be labeled "ideal" versus "actual", for it indicates that true democracy cannot be achieved.

Dahl also has a bad habit of explaining some things in too much detail and explaining others in none at all. He doesn't expand on some of the ideas presented in the book, which is a shame because these ideas are crucial in understanding his entire thesis. It would probably take a larger book than this small, 188-page study in order to fully understand his notion of democracy. He leaves much unsaid, and doesn't elaborate on certain ideas which needed expounding upon. His ideas are very simple, logical, and nothing new for the experienced poly-sci major or those very interested and knowledgeable about democracy. For those looking to learn more about it, however, On Democracy may be a good place to start.

Rating:
Summary: Great Place To Begin A Study of Democracy
Review: I read this as a precursor to reading other works regarding the challenges facing democracies. Dahl's book is written for the general reader, the beginner, someone unfamiliar with the subject, or a student who has been away from the subject for a while and wants a broad, relatively easy reading survey of the topics and issues facing democracies. It is written not for the scholar but for the informed lay person. It goes down easily in several metro commutes and even worked as bed time reading. It is also a nice calm look at issues that can become very heated in the press and media. A several page mention of the uniqueness of India, the world's most populous democracy, has also triggered my latent interest in following up on that topic as well.

Rating:
Summary: Great Place To Begin A Study of Democracy
Review: I read this as a precursor to reading other works regarding the challenges facing democracies. Dahl's book is written for the general reader, the beginner, someone unfamiliar with the subject, or a student who has been away from the subject for a while and wants a broad, relatively easy reading survey of the topics and issues facing democracies. It is written not for the scholar but for the informed lay person. It goes down easily in several metro commutes and even worked as bed time reading. It is also a nice calm look at issues that can become very heated in the press and media. A several page mention of the uniqueness of India, the world's most populous democracy, has also triggered my latent interest in following up on that topic as well.

Rating:
Summary: Must-read for those interested in democracy!
Review: The most concise, logical and authoritative text "On Democracy." If you are confused about democracy in theory and/or practice, this book can help you out!

I really liked the way Dahl describes the origins of democratic thought and practices, the necessary conditions for an ideal democracy, the necessary institutions for an actual democracy, pro's and con's of parliamentary and presidential democracies and finally of increasing relevance, the double-edge sworded relationship between market capitalism and democracy.

It's the perfect guide to bring together and give shape to your existing and confused ideas. The only criticism I can offer about the text is its obvious Western bias. Even though modern representative democracy was no doubt shaped in Europe and North America, the author either intentionally or out of ignorance did not give credit and/or mention to the existence of ancient democratic practices in the villages of India and other indigenous peoples of the world.

Nevertheless, a fantastic, though rather dry read. It's money well spent.

Rating:
Summary: Must-read for those interested in democracy!
Review: The most concise, logical and authoritative text "On Democracy." If you are confused about democracy in theory and/or practice, this book can help you out!

I really liked the way Dahl describes the origins of democratic thought and practices, the necessary conditions for an ideal democracy, the necessary institutions for an actual democracy, pro's and con's of parliamentary and presidential democracies and finally of increasing relevance, the double-edge sworded relationship between market capitalism and democracy.

It's the perfect guide to bring together and give shape to your existing and confused ideas. The only criticism I can offer about the text is its obvious Western bias. Even though modern representative democracy was no doubt shaped in Europe and North America, the author either intentionally or out of ignorance did not give credit and/or mention to the existence of ancient democratic practices in the villages of India and other indigenous peoples of the world.

Nevertheless, a fantastic, though rather dry read. It's money well spent.

Rating:
Summary: great for students
Review: This book is absolutely great for students studying political culture! It describes all aspects of democracy in a very clear way and really gives you an insight in political science. I have used this book throughout my studies and it has helped me a great deal!

Rating:
Summary: Previous Reviewer
Review: This book is great! Assuming you already have a Ph. D. in Political Science. Otherwise this book is best reserved for drop quoting, or light reference. The author shows bias towards the United States' form of Democracy, as is to be expected in such a book. The simplistic nature makes the reader annoyed more than informed. The childish approach is suited for school children, but not as appropriate as other books for real analysis.

Rating:
Summary: A quick and easy read
Review: This is a good book.

However, the author's bias shows through on several topics. For example, even though it is obvious that he clearly believes a proportional electoral system is superior to a first past the pole system, he never states that is his belief. He presents an incomplete list of goods and bads associated with both systems. But, neither list is exhaustive. The reader, as a result, is left to figure out what he left off the list and wondering why it was left off the list.

Otherwise, this is a good book if you want a quick and easy read on democracy.

Rating:
Summary: "Aristotle's Politics" for everyone and for our times
Review: Tremendous breadth and perspective on the major political dilemmas of our time from a wise scholar of the academy and citizen of the world. Everyone from experts to laypersons can enjoy, understand, and gain from Dahl's insights and characterizations regarding the fundamental political dilemmas of our time. Rarely, does such a combination of scholarly erudition and simple prose ever come along. I am greatful to Robert Dahl for contributing and elevating political discourse here and around the world with this book. Please read it if you are remotely interested in the politics of any country and the politics of the world. You can probably read it in one long sitting.

On another level, this book will forever remain the textual staple of the "Introduction to Comparative Government Courses" I teach.

This review does not mean that I agree with Dahl on all his positions it just means that I think his book is important.

This book is a provocative, informative, prudent, understated, and insightful explanation of the world's post-Soviet political era. (In this respect, Dahl's book is much better than Francis Fukuyama's ridiculously overstated, criminially impractical, triumphantly-and-arrogantly-toned treatise on "the end of the history." And guess what? Dahl's book is much shorter.)

Rating:
Summary: Dry but accurate
Review: _On Democracy_ is not a very joyful book to read. It is rather dry and doesn't seem to want to create much controversy in the things it says. However, it is mostly accurate and does a fairly good job of laying out the basics (and I mean the very basics) of democratic theory, as well as mapping a few of the different ways in which democracy is actually practiced in various countries. If you are relatively familiar with this sort of material, this book will not provide you with any new insights. But for someone just starting to examine the nature of political beliefs, I can imagine that this may be helpful. If nothing else, it will probably be handy as a sort of quick reference book.