“Republican theory's lighthouse figure Phillip Pettit's much awaited and more recent book on democracy offers a sum of his whole oeuvre in practical philosophy … As the title indicates, Pettit not only develops a theoretical argument, he also sketches practical avenues as to how the theory might and should guide our tuning of western democracies. Philosophers and social scientists alike will be intrigued, challenged, and nourished as they explore the book's pages.' Jean-François Grégoire, Ethical Perspectives

'Pettit provides a thorough, sophisticated account of contemporary republican political thought, and the book would serve as a useful introduction to the topic … he shows how republicanism differs from both communitarianism and liberalism, contrasting his view with thinkers such as Hobbes and Rawls, on the one hand, and Rousseau, on the other. Summing up: recommended. Upper-division undergraduate, graduate and research collections.' P. R. Babbitt, Choice

'This is an excellent, closely argued book, remarkable for its clarity and consistency. It is highly accessible and stimulating, especially given its exploration of actual democratic institutions. The book is also highly relevant in showing how political philosophers can pay attention to legitimacy as an independent normative feature of political orders.' Yann Allard-Tremblay, The Philosophical Quarterly