Title
The Failure of Democratic Nation Building: Ideology Meets Evolution,Used
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Product Description Throughout history authoritarian governments have outnumbered democratic ones to an overwhelming degree. Even today, true democracies are an exception. In this book, Somit and Peterson argue that the main reason for this pattern is that humans are social primates with an innate tendency for hierarchical and authoritarian social and political structures. Democracy requires very special 'enabling conditions' before it can be supported by a state, conditions that require decades to evolve. As a result, attempts to export democracy through nationbuilding to states without these enabling conditions are doomed to failure. The authors argue that money and energy devoted to nationbuilding around the globe by the U.S. would be better spent on problems facing the country domestically. Review 'Al Somit and Steve Peterson have written a book that is provocative, unconventional, and all too persuasive. Even if U.S. policies were more thoughtful and consistent, the efforts to create democratic regimes in the Third World are likely to fail: given the trajectory of genetic and cultural evolution, most of us are more comfortable with social systems that are stratified and hierarchical. Democracy requires eternal vigilance, which is a lot of trouble. With a choice between the libert, egalit, and fraternit trinity and the combination of security and prosperity, most of us will settle for the latter.' J. David Singer, University of Michigan, USA About the Author ALBERT SOMIT is Professor Emeritus at Southern Illinois University, USA. He has served as Executive VicePresident of SUNYBuffalo and President of Southern Illinois University. He is a pioneer of biopolitics.STEVEN A. PETERSON is Professor of Politics, Penn State University at Harrisburg, USA and Director of its School of Public Affairs. He has authored or edited 15 books, mostly in the area of public policy. His research interests include political behaviour, political psychology, and biology and politics.
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