The Life and Times of Liberal Democracy

C.B. Macpherson (1911-1987) was professor of political science at the University of Toronto. Widely regarded as Canada's pre-eminent political theorist of the twentieth century, he was the author of numerous books, including Democratic Theory: Essays in Retrieval and The Real World of Democracy, and was named to the Order of Canada, the country's highest civilian honour.

• INTRODUCTION TO THE WYNFORD EDITION ; I. MODELS AND PRECURSORS ; I. MODELS AND PRECURSORS ; THE NATURE OF THE INQUIRY ; THE NATURE OF THE INQUIRY ; THE USE OF MODELS ; (I) WHY MODELS? ; (II) WHY HISTORICALLY SUCCESSIVE MODELS? ; (III) WHY THESE MODELS? ; PRECURSORS OF LIBERAL DEMOCRACY ; (I) DEMOCRACY AND CLASS ; (II) PRE-NINETEENTH CENTURY THEORIES AS PRECURSORS ; II. MODEL 1: PROTECTIVE DEMOCRACY ; THE BREAK IN THE DEMOCRATIC TRADITION ; THE UTILITARIAN BASE ; BENTHAM'S ENDS OF LEGISLATION ; THE POLITICAL REQUIREMENT ; JAMES MILL'S SEESAW ; PROTECTIVE DEMOCRACY FOR MARKET MAN ; III. MODEL 2: DEVELOPMENTAL DEMOCRACY ; THE EMERGENCE OF MODEL 2 ; MODEL 2A: J.S. MILL'S DEVELOPMENTAL DEMOCRACY ; THE TAMING OF THE DEMOCRATIC FRANCHISE ; MODEL 2B: TWENTIETH-CENTURY DEVELOPMENTAL DEMOCRACY ; IV. MODEL 3: EQUILIBRIUM DEMOCRACY ; THE ENTREPRENEURIAL MARKET ANALOGY ; THE ADEQUACY OF MODEL 3 ; (I) DESCRIPTIVE ADEQUACY ; (II) EXPLANATORY ADEQUACY ; (III) JUSTIFICATORY ADEQUACY ; THE FALTERING OF MODEL 3 ; V. MODEL 4: PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY ; THE RISE OF THE IDEA ; IS MORE PARTICIPATION NOW POSSIBLE? ; (I) THE PROBLEM OF SIZE ; (II) A VICIOUS CIRCLE AND POSSIBLE LOOPHOLES ; MODELS OF PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY ; (I) MODEL 4A: AN ABSTRACT FIRST APPROXIMATION ; (II) MODEL 4B: A SECOND APPROXIMATION ; PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY AS LIBERAL DEMOCRACY ; FURTHER READING ; INDEX