Historical Dictionary of Democracy

Norman Abjorensen is a political historian who formerly taught at The Australian National University, Canberra. He has also taught at universities in Japan, the People’s Republic of China, and the Philippines, and for several years has contributed to the Varieties of Democracy project at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, as a country expert. He is co-author (with James Docherty) of the Historical Dictionary of Australia (4th ed.), and the author of several books on Australian politics, including an assessment of democracy and a study of the Australian prime ministership.

• Editor’s ForewordPrefaceAcknowledgmentsAcronyms and AbbreviationsChronologyIntroductionTHE DICTIONARYGlossaryBibliographyAbout the Author

Determining what terminology to exclude and what time periods to cover must be exacerbating, yet Abjorensen took up these challenges with great aplomb to create an extraordinary historical dictionary. Beginning with a list of abbreviations and a chronology, and ending with a glossary plus a detailed, 87-page bibliography index, this dictionary does not disappoint. In the introduction, Abjorensen, a political historian and country expert in the V-dem project at the University of Gothenburg, acknowledges that there is no specific origin of democracy, although archaeological evidence from fragments suggest some structured governance to protect citizen’s rights through Hammurabi’s Code. The text of the book provides 640 entries plus see also references and cross-referencing. People, places, and movements are included as well as terminology, ensuring that a global perspective of democracy is represented. This book is recommended for all readers interested in the evolution of democracy.Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty.