The Logic of Democracy

The Logic of Democracy examines some of the broadest questions in political science--what is democracy and how does it work--and provides a unified theory to explain them. McGann brings together the often antagonistic literature on normative political philosophy, social choice, and the empirical study of political institutions to show that it is possible to provide answers for many outstanding problems prevalent in all three. This ranks with Riker and Mackie as one of the most important works in democratic theory of the last thirty years. McGann slices through fashionable nonsense like a knife through hot butter.--Iain McLean, Oxford University McGann brings a variety of theoretical arguments together to provide a coherent logic of majoritarian democracy and a wholehearted and comprehensive defense of majority rule. Notably, he finds virtue in what is commonly viewed as majority rule's vice -- namely cycling -- and he also shows that proportional representation, not first-past-the-post, is required for true majoritarianism. The book should be read not just by formal theorists but by a broad range of political science scholars and students.--Nicholas R. Miller, University of Maryland In The Logic of Democracy Anthony McGann practices political science the way it should be done. He takes a difficult and important theoretical question, namely how we should interpret the possibility of majority-rule cycling, pursues it single-mindedly across the unhelpful barriers raised by established subspecialties and methodologies, and arrives at a set of non-obvious normative and empirical results. Will you agree with every argument he advances? Surely not. You will, however, benefit immensely from reading this exemplary book.--Jim Johnson, University of Rochester Anthony McGann is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Irvine.