KEITH DOWDING is Professor of Political Science at the London School of Economics. His books include Rational Choice and Political Power, The Civil Service, Power, and co-edited Preferences, Institutions and Rational Choice. He is co-editor of the Journal of Theoretical Politics. JAMES HUGHES is Senior Lecturer in Comparative Politics, Department of Government, London School of Economics. His most recent publication is Stalinism in a Russian Province (1996). HELEN MARGETTS is Reader in Political Science at the School of Public Policy, University College London. She is author of Information Technology in Government: Britain and America.

• Introduction CHALLENGES FOR DEMOCRACY: EQUALITY AND SATISFACTION Political Equality in the Coming Century; R.Dahl Levelling Down; J.Wolff The Political Economy of Human Happiness; B.Radcliff Freedom and the Achievement of Happiness; J.Ott CHALLENGES FROM SOCIETY: CHANGING PETTERNS OF POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT Is there a Crisis of Democracy in Great Britain? Turnout at General Elections Reconsidered; R.Johnston & C.Pattie Social Capital, Civic Literacy and Political Participation: Explaining Differences in Voter Turnout; H.Milner A Virtuous Circle? The Impact of Political Communications in Post-Industrial Democracies; P.Norris Hactivism: Direct Action on the Electronic Flows of Information Societies; T.Jordan Deliberative Democracy and Referendums; J.Parkinson Creating Spaces of Deliberation in Barcelona: Its Good to Talk?; G.Blakeley CHALLENGES FROM THE STATE: CHANGING INSTITUTIONS External Influences on Party Development and Transnational Party Cooperation: The Case of Post-Communist Europe; G.Pridham Promoting Parties and Party Systems in New Democracies: Is there Anything the International Community Can Do?; P.Burnell Regulatory Accountability: Towards a Single Citizen-Consumer Model?; M.Lodge E-Governance: Weber's Revenge?; Perri 6 Decentralization and Development: the New Panacea; E.Ostrom Index