Deliberation, social choice and absolutist democracy Book

Social choice theory and theories of deliberative discourse have strongly influenced the way political scientists understand the dynamics of democratic politics and decision-making. This new book addresses the dispute between these competing schools of thought. "Deliberation, Social Choice and Absolutist Democracy" offer the two dominant conceptions of participation in contemporary democratic theory. The former holds that through the democratic process we can arrive at consensus, rational outcomes and even principles of justice, while the latter suggest that fair and equal participation is more likely to lead to instability and irrational outcomes. With an in-depth examination of social choice theory and deliberative democracy, David van Mill: - Presents two case studies on the American Continental Congress 1774-1789. - Provides an assessment of the types of institutions that will promote democracy and create stable outcomes with the minimum sacrifice of the freedom andequality of participants. - Defends a more radical idea of absolutist democracy, gleaned from the writings of Hobbes, against the claims made in favor of limited constitutional government. This book will be of interest to students and researchers of political theory, particularly those with an interest in democratic theory.