Politicising Democracy

John Harriss is Professor of Development Studies at the London School of Economics and Political Science, UK. His research now focuses on politics and political economy, with particular reference to India. He is the author, with Stuart Corbridge, of Reinventing India: Economic Liberalization, Hindu Nationalism and Popular Democracy, and of Depoliticizing Development: the World Bank and Social Capital. Kristian Stokke is Professor in Human Geography at the University of Oslo, Norway. His research focuses on social movement politics and democratization in South Africa and ethnonationalist conflict and post-conflict political transformations in Sri Lanka. Olle Tornquist is Professor of Political Science and Development Research, University of Oslo, Norway. He has published extensively on politics and development, radical politics, and problems of democratization in comparative perspective. His recent books include Politics and Development: A Critical Introduction, Popular Development and Democracy: Case Studies in the Phillippines, Indonesia and Kerala, and Indonesia's Post-Soeharto Democracy Movement (with S.Adi Prasetyo & E.A.Priyono).

• Introduction: The New Local Politics of Democratisation; J.Harriss, K.Stokke & O.Törnquist Decentralisation in Indonesia: Less State, More Democracy?; H.S.Nordholt Bossism and Democracy in the Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia: Towards an Alternative Framework for the Study of 'Local Strongmen'; J.T.Sidel Can Public Deliberation Democratise State Action? Municipal Health Councils and Local Democracy in Brazil; G.Schönleitner Historical Hurdles in the Course of the People's Planning Campaign in Kerala, India; P.K.M.Tharakan Social Movements, Socio-Economic Rights and Substantial Democratisation in South Africa; K.Stokke & S.Oldfield More Than Difficult, Short of Impossible: Party Building and Local Governance in the Philippines; J.Rocamora Trade Unions, Institutional Reform and Democracy: Nigerian Experiences with South African and Ugandan Comparisons; B.Beckman The Political Deficit of Substantial Democratisation; O.Törnquist