
With the collapse of traditional parties around the world & with many pundits predicting a crisis of democracy the value of elections as a method for selecting by whom & how we are governed is being questioned What are the virtues & weaknesses of elections? Are there limitations to what they can realistically achieve? In this deeply informed book world-renowned democratic theorist Adam Przeworski offers a warts-&-all analysis of elections & the ways in which they affect our lives Elections he argues are inherently imperfect but they remain the least bad way of choosing our rulers According to Przeworski the greatest value of elections by itself sufficient to cherish them is that they process whatever conflicts may arise in society in a way that maintains relative liberty & peace Whether they succeed in doing so in today's turbulent political climate remains to be seen