TY - GEN T1 - On political equality A1 - Dahl, Robert A., 1915-2014 LA - English PP - New Haven PB - Yale University Press YR - 2006 UL - https://ebooks.jgu.edu.in/Record/jstor_eba_ocn123028736 AB - Robert Dahl, one of the world's most influential and respected political scientists, has spent a lifetime exploring the institutions and practices of democracy in such landmark books as "Who Governs?", "On Democracy", and "How Democratic Is the American Constitution?" Here, Dahl looks at the fundamental issue of equality and how and why governments have fallen short of their democratic ideals. At the centre of the book is the question of whether the goal of political equality is so far beyond our human limits that it should be abandoned in favour of more attainable ends, or if there are ways to realistically address and reduce inequities. Though complete equality is unattainable, Dahl argues that strides toward that ideal are both desirable and feasible. He shows the remarkable shift in recent centuries toward democracy and political equality the world over. He explores the growth of democratic institutions, the expansion of citizenship, and the various obstacles that stand in the way of gains in political equality. Dahl also looks at the motives, particularly those of emotion and reason, that play such a crucial role in the struggle for equality. In conclusion, Dahl assesses the contemporary political landscape in the United States. He looks at the likelihood of political inequality increasing, and poses one scenario in which Americans grow more unequal in their influence over their government. The counter scenario foresees a cultural shift in which citizens, rejecting what Dahl calls 'competitive consumerism', invest time and energy in civic action and work to reduce the inequality that now exists among Americans. OP - 142 CN - JC423 .D2498 2006eb SN - 9780300133745 SN - 030013374X SN - 9781281722669 SN - 1281722669 SN - 9786611722661 SN - 6611722661 SN - 9780300116076 SN - 0300116071 SN - 9780300126877 SN - 0300126875 KW - Democracy. KW - Equality. KW - Democracy KW - Démocratie. KW - Inégalité sociale. KW - democracy. KW - POLITICAL SCIENCE : Political Freedom & Security : Civil Rights. KW - POLITICAL SCIENCE : Political Freedom & Security : Human Rights. KW - POLITICAL SCIENCE : General. KW - Equality KW - Gelijkheid. KW - Politieke filosofie. ER -