Democracy in the Fifty States

by Kim Quaile Hill

The disillusionment of scholars and nonscholars alike who conclude that democracy in the United States has failed calls for an innovative examination of our democratic processes. Kim Quaile Hill, arguing that these critics have been too hasty in their judgment, presents the first comprehensive assessment on the extent of achieved democratization. He examines the range of representative democracy in the states by comparing them on the key components...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0803223722
• ISBN13: 9780803223721
• Release Date: November 1994
• Publisher: University of Nebraska Press
• Length: 181 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.8" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

Scientific Examination of Democracy

In each chapter, Hill proposes and discusses several ways to quantitatively measure democracy, such as voter turnout and party competition. An analysis of states from the pre-civil rights era to modern times shows that states have gotten significantly more democratic, although they are still less democratic than popularly perceived. There are also theoretical discussions on what constitutes a democracy and what are the measurable aspects of a more democratic state vs. a less democratic one. Overall, this is an excellent book on quantifying democracy.