Product Description: Democratic Decision-Making: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives contains eight essays by political scientists addressing various aspects of the democratic decision-making process. The book is divided into four parts: democratic statesmanship, the extent to which limitations of the democratic principle of majority rule are desirable, the contemporary doctrine of “deliberative democracy,” and informal modes of democratic decision-making...read more

'Schaefer challenges John Rawls's practically sacrosanct status among scholars of political theory, law, and ethics by demonstrating how Rawls's teachings deviate from the core tradition of American constitutional liberalism toward libertarianism'--Provided by publisher.

Product Description: This volume contains five articles by prominent scholars of French literature and political philosophy that examine the relation between Montaigne's Essays, one of the classic works of the French philosophical and literary traditions, and the writings attributed by Montaigne to his friend, the French humanist Etienne de La Boétie's...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

In Active Duty: Public Administration as Democratic Statesmanship, a distinguished group of contributors examines the role of the American civil service under the Constitution. The common concern that unites the otherwise diverse approaches of the authors is the conception of public administration as a particular form of political activity. The contributors relate administrative issues to the broader questions of political life, such as political judgment and responsibility, the Constitution and constitutionalism, and the promotion of human liberty and the common good. They aim to encourage the administrator to become a democratic statesman. Present and prospective American civil servants, as well as political scientists and political philosophers, will find this book of interest.

This book commemorates the tenth anniversary of the Worcester Municipal Research Bureau, a private, non-profit organization which conducts independent, non-partisan research on issues facing Worcester's municipal government. In this book are lectures from the "Future of Cities" series (winter and spring 1995) sponsored by the Worcester Municipal Research Bureau. This series examines the proper functions of local government and explores how these functions can be carried out efficiently and responsibly. The essays focus on the shift of power from the federal and state governments back to the local level. Attention is given to the main ideas behind this emerging trend, including promoting accountability and "re-empowering" the local citizenry. Each speech addresses a different aspect of the prospects and problems of urban life during the next decade. Speakers include Professor Marc Landy (Boston College Political Science Department) and John Fund (editorial writer at the Wall Street Journal). Discussants include (all political scientists): Professor Daniel Mahoney (Assumption College); Professor David Schaefer (Holy Cross College); Professor Dennis Hale (Boston College); and Professor Hadley Arkes (Amherst College). The essays in this book will appeal to students and scholars of political science, federalism, and local government. Anyone interested in the future of our government and its effects on us as citizens, will surely want a copy of this thoughtful and penetrating set of essays.

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Product Description: Arguing that Montaigne was a far more systematic and radical figure than other scholars have recognized, David Lewis Schaefer demonstrates that Montaigne offers important lessons about the theoretical foundations of modern politics and morality.

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