Spaces of Democracy

'This volume successfully exposes the "ghostly presence" of democracy in the field of geography and shows the value of thinking about democracy geographically. It is a major contribution to serious examination of a normative political issue from a geographical perspective. This is welcome above all because geography is a field whose cultural and economic branches, though often claiming the appellation "critical", are currently dominated by unexamined radical political fantasies' - John Agnew, University of California, Los Angeles

In an historically unprecedented way, democracy is now increasingly seen as a universal model of legitimate rule.This work addresses the key question: How can democracy be understood in theory and in practise?

In three thematically organised sections, Spaces of Democracy uses a critical geographical imagination (informed by thinking on space, place, and scale) to interrogate the latest work in democratic theory. Key ideas and concepts discussed include globalization and transnationalism; representation; citizenship; liberalism; the city and public space; and the media.

This volume comprises commissioned work by leading academics investigating democracy. Historical and comparative, animated by wider debates on globalization, it will facilitate the critical discussion of core questions on citizenship, the state, and democracy. Spaces of Democracy is essential reading for students of human geography, political science/international relations, and political sociology.

Review: 'This volume successfully exposes the "ghostly presence" of democracy in the field of geography and shows the value of thinking about democracy geographically. It is a major contribution to serious examination of a normative political issue from a geographical perspective. This is welcome above all because geography is a field whose cultural and economic branches, though often claiming the appellation "critical", are currently dominated by unexamined radical political fantasies' - John Agnew, University of California, Los Angeles
"This book is a welcome contribution to geographic studies of democracy for two reasons. Geographic interpretation has much to contribute to our understanding of political change subsumed under the term "democratization," and this book will serve as a solid addition to that body of literature. Second, this collection brings together a proven group of scholars from geography. Overall, this is a highly recommended collection." -- Brennan Kraxberger * Newport News *

Contents: Geography and Democracy - Clive Barnett and Murray Low An Introduction PART ONE: ELECTIONS, VOTING AND REPRESENTATION Global Democratization - John O'Loughlin Measuring and Explaining the Diffusion of Democracy Electoral Geography in Electoral Studies - Ron Johnston and Charles Pattie Putting Voters in Their Place Representation, Law and Redistricting in the United States - Richard L Morrill PART TWO: DEMOCRACY, CITIZENSHIP AND SCALE Citizens and the State - Sallie A Marston and Katharyne Mitchell Citizenship Formations in Space and Time Open Borders and Free Population Movement - David M Smith A Challenge for Liberalism Cities as Spaces of Democracy - Murray Low Complexity, Scale and Governance PART THREE: MAKING DEMOCRATIC SPACES Spaces of Public and Private - Lynn A Staeheli and Don Mitchell Locating Politics The Geopolitics of Democracy and Citizenship in Latin America - Gareth A Jones Media, Democracy and Representation - Clive Barnett Disembodying the Public Cultures of Democracy - Sophie Watson Spaces of Democratic Possibility Spaces of Mobilization - Byron Miller Transnational Social Movements