Elites, Non-Elites, and Political Realism: Diminishing Futures for Western Societies - Paperback

by John Higley (Author)

This fearless study offers a broad and realistic understanding of what is and isn't possible in modern politics. Higley contends that stable liberal democracy is possible only when elites, although always self-interested, are unified and drive a coherent political agenda. Without this vital component, the prospects for lasting democracy grow dim.

Author Biography

John Higley is emeritus professor of government and sociology at the University of Texas at Austin, where he held the Jack S. Blanton Chair in Australia Studies. His books include Elites, Crises, and the Origins of Regimes; Elites after State Socialism; Elite Foundations of Liberal Democracy; The Endangered West: Myopic Elites and Fragile Social Orders in a Threatening World; and the Palgrave Handbook of Political Elites.