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On Political Equality

robert a. dahl

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Robert A. Dahl, one of the world’s most influential and respected political scientists, has spent a lifetime exploring the institutions and practices of democracy in such landmark books as Who Governs?, On Democracy, and How Democratic Is the American Constitution?  Here, Dahl looks at the fundamental issue of equality and how and why governments have fallen short of their democratic ideals. 

At the center of the book is the question of whether the goal of political equality is so far beyond our human limits that it should be abandoned in favor of more attainable ends, or if there are ways to realistically address and reduce inequities. Though complete equality is unattainable, Dahl argues that strides toward that ideal are both desirable and feasible. He shows the remarkable shift in recent centuries toward democracy and political equality the world over. He explores the growth of democratic institutions, the expansion of citizenship, and the various obstacles that stand in the way of gains in political equality. Dahl also looks at the motives, particularly those of emotion and reason, that play such a crucial role in the struggle for equality.  

In conclusion, Dahl assesses the contemporary political landscape in the United States. He looks at the likelihood of political inequality increasing, and poses one scenario in which Americans grow more unequal in their influence over their government. The counter scenario foresees a cultural shift in which citizens, rejecting what Dahl calls “competitive consumerism,” invest time and energy in civic action and work to reduce the inequality that now exists among Americans.

160 pages, Hardcover

First published September 15,2006

This edition

Format
160 pages, Hardcover
Published
September 15, 2006 by Yale University Press
ISBN
9780300116076
ASIN
0300116071
Language
English

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robert a. dahl

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Rating(4.1 / 5.0, 9 votes)
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9 reviews All reviews
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alzhu11
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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Robert Dahl's On Political Equality is a short book about the distance democratic countries are from being truly democratic. Dahl suggests that America, for instance, could grow to be more undemocratic as time goes by or Americans could revise the direction by pushing through more democratic agenda. It seems a little light in actual proposal, but I really enjoyed it nonetheless.
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thefanbastard
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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خیلی جاها سربسته و موهومه اما از لحاظ پرسش‌هایی که پیش می‌گذاره و بینش‌های گاه به گاهش کتاب خوبیه.‏
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kktheman1
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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درباره‌ی برابری سیاسی / رابرت آلن دال / تهران: فرهنگ صبا، چاپِ اول 1387
دموکراسی – برابری

مقدمه‌ی مترجم
«جهانگیر معینی علمداری»، در مقدمه‌ای شش صفحه‌ای نوشته است: «رابرت دال»، اندیشمندی بد شانس است. زیرا درباره‌ی وی تصویری «کلیشه‌ای» وجود داشته که مانعِ درکِ اندیشه‌های او شده است. تصویری کلیشه‌ای که او را مدافعِ نابرابری و توجیه‌گرِ نظامِ سرمایه‌داری معرفی می‌کند.
[...]
n  n n  n n  n
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MrBlueSky0898
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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Doktora yeterlik sürecim sağ olsun, Dahl'ın eserlerine ve fikirlerine "tam anlamıyla hâkimim" diyemesem de "aşinayım" dememde sakınca yok diye düşünüyorum. Bu durumun Siyasî Eşitlik Üzerine isimli kısa kitabını özümsememde faydası olduğunu rahatlıkla söyleyebilirim. Zira Dahl, bu kitapta iddialarını uzunca analiz etmek yerine onları sıralayıp kısaca gerekçelendirmeyi tercih etmiş. Ben bu nedenle kitabı biraz "eksik" bulduğumu söyleyebilirim.

Dahl, bu kitapta önceki kitaplarından bazı görüşlerine de yer vererek siyasî eşitliğin içinde bulunduğu muhtemel tehlikelere (ki bir kısmının gerçekleştiğini, gerçekleşmekte olduğunu görmek mümkün) ve bunların sebeplerine yer vermiş. Bunu yaparken daha çok ABD odaklı bir incelemeyi tercih etmiş.

Her ne kadar sonda umut etmeye elverişli bir seçeneğe de yer verse de Dahl'ın siyasi eşitlik açısından çok umutlu bir yaklaşıma sahip olduğu söylenemez. Dahl, özellikle terörizm gerekçesiyle iktidar dengesinin yürütme lehine daha da bozulacağı ve bunun siyasi eşitliği zedeleyeceği iddiasında. Söz konusu iddialarını ve gerekçelerini pandemi ekseninde düşündüğümüzde ise daha fazla umutsuzluğa kapılmak işten bile değil.
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Cladi
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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A short, pithy work on why political equality is important, whether it is achievable and the likelihood of it increasing or decreasing in our modern societies. The clear, lucid prose is a staple of Dahl as is the concise jargon free language. The book as a whole is highly readable, but it is far too short to really enable the reader to get anything more than a passing glimpse at what is a vital issue. A worthy introductory look, but lacking any real depth and bite.
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BlakeRadcliff
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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This little book (just 130 pages with footnotes) from the eminent political scientist Robert Dahl is very appropriate for these discordant times.

By "political equality" he means the right -- and ability -- of each adult citizen to participate in the political process, including the right to have equal access AND say in the formulation of policies.

This is clearly not the case today and, as both Mr. Dahl and others have mused, it may become increasingly unlikely in the future, depending upon what WE do or fail to do.

Dahl identifies, as integral parts of true political equality, that each adult citizen would enjoy:
1) "Equal and effective opportunities for making known to others their views about what the policy should be";
2) Equality in voting;
3) Equal and effective opportunities to learn about relevant alternative policies and their likely consequences;
4) Control of the agenda (i.e., which policies are advanced);
5) Inclusion at all steps of weighing, discussing, and selecting policies; and,
6) Rights fundamental to political equality, including equal weight for their opinions and votes, and to the expression of those opinions.

Clearly, the United States today is, in light of the above, very far from having "political equality" for its citizens. Rather, because of the overwhelming power of big money in determining policy, selecting candidates, and distributing "information," the average citizen comes very close to having ZERO power in determining which policies are considered or passed.

Furthermore, the growing partisan divide, and the determination by the Republican Party to seize and maintain power despite majority sentiment or vote -- including the utilization of gerrymandered districts and voter suppression -- has clearly placed some citizens in a distinctly second class mode.

For those who care about the future of our democratic Republic, I heartily recommend your taking a couple of hours to read this book from one of the finest observers of political processes of our time.

For, if you haven't yet noticed, our Republic is, in fact, running out of time!

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