The Confidence Trap: A History of Democracy in Crisis from World War I to the Present
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.96 (584 Votes) |
| Asin | : | B072L72GQ1 |
| Format Type | : | |
| Number of Pages | : | 179 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2014-07-07 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Kennan, Francis Fukuyama and Friedrich Hayek, and part analysis of the problem of political leadership in democracies, explored through the decisions taken by leaders, particularly US presidents, and the constraints under which they operate."--Andrew Gamble, Times Literary Supplement"An ingenious account of how free nations faced seven international crises from 1918 to 2008. Runciman's prose is conversational, if elegantly so--it is no surprise that he is a fluent lecturer--and characterised by a wry restraint."--Daniel Cohen, Los Angeles Review of Books"Excellent and interesting. The picture he sketches is agreeably bold."--John Keane, Sydney Morning Herald"If you think American democ
He writes regularly about politics for the London Review of Books. David Runciman is professor of politics at the University of Cambridge and a fellow of Trinity Hall. . His books include The Politics of Good Intentions and Political Hypocrisy (both Princeton)
It also looks at the confusion and uncertainty created by unexpected victories, from the defeat of German autocracy in 1918 to the defeat of communism in 1989. Throughout, the book pays close attention to the politicians and thinkers who grappled with these crises: from Woodrow Wilson, Nehru, and Adenauer to Fukuyama and Obama.In The Confidence Trap, David Runciman shows that democracies are good at recovering from emergencies but bad at avoiding them. The lesson democracies tend to learn from their mistakes is that they can survive them—and
UNIQUE ANALYSIS The quote on the front page of this book says it all - this book is like no other book you normally see these days.Instead of concentrating on current issues, the author takes a longer and deeper view of democracy. He starts with the French aristocrat de Tocqueville who toured America in 1831 and initially found it chaotic on the surface but later realized it was stable underneath.The author's main thesis is that the strengths of democracy lie in its flexibil. "Very engaging" according to George A. Goldtrap III. I enjoy reading history books. I especially enjoy learning of the people and events that shaped the times in which I grew up, the 70's. This book traces the life of a concept and system of government from the early days of our nation until the present time and that, in itself, is fascinating. However, the author also deals with the impact upon that story of the other emerging democracies and various dictatorships over the last 100 years. Included are the role. JUST EXCELLENT Bill McLean Readers will be quickly taken into this historical view and explanation of Democracies. Democracies are compared with other forms of government on the basis of weakness and strengths. I cannot help but agree with this author with regard to the trap. This is a controversy that deserves the attention of not only world leaders, but virtually everyone.