Might, Right, Prosperity and Consent : Representative Democracy and the International Economy 1919–2001

This book offers an analysis of the problem of the authority of the state in democracies. Unlike many discussions of democracy that treat authority as a problem primarily of domestic politics or normative values, it puts the international economy at the centre of the analysis. The book shows how changes in the international economy from the inter-war years to the end of the twentieth century impacted upon the success and failures of democracy. It makes the argument by considering a range of different cases, and traces the success and failure of democracies over the past century. The book includes detailed studies of democracies in both developed and developing countries, and offers a comparative analysis of their fate. 'This book offers an original analysis of the problem of the authority of the state in democracies. Unlike many discussions of democracy that treat authority as a problem primarily of domestic politics or normative values, this book puts the international economy at the centre of the analysis. This volume shows how changes in the international economy from the inter-war years to the end of the twentieth century impacted upon the success and failures of democracy. It makes the argument by considering a range of different cases, and it traces the success and failure of democracies over the past century. It includes detailed studies of democracies in both developed and developing countries, and offers a comparative analysis of their fate. It will appeal to all those interested in democracy, the future of the state and the impact of the international economy on domestic politics' --Back cover Front matter Dedication Contents Preface Introduction The modern democratic nation-state The crises of the inter-war years The Bretton Woods rescue Crises and non-crises: financial liberalisation and the end of the Cold War Conclusions Bibliography Index This book offers an original analysis of the problem of the authority of the state in democracies by focusing on the relationship between that authority and the development of the international economy through the twentieth century.