Democratic Decline and Democratic Renewal : Political Change in Britain Australia and New Zealand

The story of liberal democracy over the last half century has been a triumphant one in many ways, with the number of democracies increasing from a minority of states to a significant majority. Yet substantial problems afflict democratic states, and while the number of democratic countries has expanded, democratic practice has contracted. This book introduces a novel framework for evaluating the rise and decline of democratic governance. Examining three mature democratic countries - Britain, Australia and New Zealand - the authors discuss patterns of governance from the emergence of mass democracy at the outset of the twentieth century through to its present condition. The shared political cultures and institutional arrangements of the three countries allow the authors to investigate comparatively the dynamics of political evolution and the possibilities for systemic developments and institutional change. 'In this book two political scientists accept the challenge of testing a sophisticated theoretical framework against the reality of what actually occurred in three democracies. The insights to be gained from their study are fascinating and vitally important to anyone interested in the future of democratic governance.' Sir Geoffrey Palmer, Former Prime Minister of New Zealand Ian Marsh is Professor in the Australian Innovation Research Centre at the University of Tasmania. Raymond Miller is Associate Professor in the Department of Politics at the University of Auckland.

Featured in the September 2012 Law newsletter.
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Featured in the 8 October 2012 New Zealand newsletter.
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