Paradise lost, paradise regained

About this book

Democracy. What does it mean? Why does it matter? Robbins begins in Athens with an overview of democracy as practiced in the day-to-day lives of the ancient Athenians, and then turns to Rome and the Italian city-states. There is a section devoted to the effects of war on emergent democracy in the Middle Ages and in France at the time of the Revolution. Democracy in the early years of the United States, before the signing of the Constitution, is explored in detail.