Elites and Democracy by Drochon, Hugo
Elites and Democracy by Drochon, Hugo

Elites and Democracy

Why elites always rule democracies--and why recognizing that reality can help us respond to the crisis of...
$70.00 USD
$70.00 USD
Please hurry! Only 43 left in stock
Author: Hugo Drochon
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Subtotal: $70.00
Elites and Democracy by Drochon, Hugo

Elites and Democracy

$70.00
Elites and Democracy by Drochon, Hugo

Elites and Democracy

$70.00
Author: Hugo Drochon
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Description

Why elites always rule democracies--and why recognizing that reality can help us respond to the crisis of democracy today

A central paradox of democracies is that they are always ruled by elites. What can democracy mean in this context? Today, it is often said that a populist revolt against elites is driving democratic politics throughout the West. But in Elites and Democracy, Hugo Drochon argues that democracy is more accurately and usefully understood as a perpetual struggle among competing elites--between rising elites and ruling elites. Real political change comes from the interaction between social movements and elite political institutions such as parties. But, although true democracy--the rule of the people--may never be achieved, striving towards it can bring about worthwhile democratic results.

At the turn of the twentieth century, Gaetano Mosca, Vilfredo Pareto, and Robert Michels put forward "elite" theories of democracy and gave us terms such as the "ruling class" and "elites" itself. Drawing on their work and tracing the history of democratic thought through figures such as Joseph Schumpeter, Robert Dahl, C. Wright Mills, and Raymond Aron, Elites and Democracy reveals that this fundamentally elitist basis of democracy--democracy understood as competition between elites--was there all along. The challenge is to think it anew.

Moving away from procedural or principled conceptions of democracy, Elites and Democracy develops a dynamic theory of democracy, one grounded in movement. With current politics defined by a populist backlash against elites, dynamic democracy offers the tools we urgently need to understand our contemporary predicament and to act upon it.

Author: Hugo Drochon
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Published: 01/06/2026
Pages: 296
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.28lbs
Size: 9.29h x 6.22w x 1.34d
ISBN: 9780691181554


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 12/01/2025

About the Author
Hugo Drochon is associate professor of political theory at the University of Nottingham. He is the author of Nietzsche's Great Politics (Princeton).
Shipping & Return

Returns Policy

You may return most new, unopened items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. We'll also pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.).

You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).

If you need to return an item, simply login to your account, view the order using the "Complete Orders" link under the My Account menu and click the Return Item(s) button. We'll notify you via e-mail of your refund once we've received and processed the returned item.

Shipping

We can ship to virtually any address in the world. Note that there are restrictions on some products, and some products cannot be shipped to international destinations.

When you place an order, we will estimate shipping and delivery dates for you based on the availability of your items and the shipping options you choose. Depending on the shipping provider you choose, shipping date estimates may appear on the shipping quotes page.

Please also note that the shipping rates for many items we sell are weight-based. The weight of any such item can be found on its detail page. To reflect the policies of the shipping companies we use, all weights will be rounded up to the next full pound.

Review