Rational Foundations of Democratic Politics

Democracy is widely accepted today as the most suitable form of government. But does democracy always produce good government? Although often associated with the existence of competitive elections, theory and experience suggest that this insufficiently determines democracy's effectiveness. Accordingly, experts from America and Europe use the modern theory of rational choice to explore the "foundations" that make democracy successful. They consider the diverse problems of modern democratic politics such as the importance of civic virtue, negative advertising, the interaction of democracy and markets, and the role of constitutions and civil society in sustaining democracy.