Scudder and White have written a powerful and welcome contribution to democratic theory in times of democratic crisis. The Two Faces of Democracy accomplishes three things: it advances a new and deeply compelling reading of the two most prominent paradigms in contemporary democratic theory, agonism and deliberation; it argues that each tradition complements the other to form a more adequate picture of both the ideal of democracy and the present crisis we face; it offers a hopeful and realistic view of how we might approach and perhaps even escape destructive misconceptions of democracy circulating in the real world today. This is a wonderful read for anyone who cares about democratic theory and its contribution to democratic culture.
Simone Chambers, Professor and Chair of Political Science, University of California, Irvine
In this very timely and praiseworthy book, aimed at exploring convergence rather than drawing boundaries, Scudder and White eloquently drive home the point that deliberative and agonistic conceptions of democracy share more in common than usually thought. Their underlying aspiration to justice and passionate commitment to equal voice, taken as two moral sources, highlight complementary sides of democracy: the formation of consent and the persistence of contestation. The Two Faces of Democracy offers an insightful and thought-provoking contribution to democratic theory, indispensable for anyone who wishes to stay abreast and ahead of the present debate.
Alessandro Ferrara, Professor of Political Philosophy, University of Rome Tor Vergata
In this bold and original work, Scudder and White propose a framework for reconciling an expansive model of deliberative democracy with a tempered model of agonism. Reconstructing the ethical sources of democracy as autonomy and equality of voice, they show that an adequate understanding of these values requires acknowledgment of the impulses expressed in both deliberative and agonistic faces of democracy. Written with great lucidity, this is a book that should be widely read and thoughtfully pondered.
David Owen, Professor of Politics and International Relations, University of Southampton
The book provides a valuable review and critique of the recent history of these two modes of democratic theory...Recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty.
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