Books on Improving Political Systems
On our website, we promote the concept of Political Excellence. Below you can find books which explore certain aspects of Political Excellence. In particular, the questions how to reflect on and how to improve political systems are discussed. We are continuously updating this section. Books that matter to you can be purchased at amazon by clicking the respective thumbnail.
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Demokratiemanifest für die schweigende Mehrheit:
Die 'Revolution der Demokratie' in Kürze
by Johannes Heinrichs - Stenoverlag, 2005
In his concise "Manifesto of democracy for a silent majority", the German philosopher Johannes Heinrichs calls for a fundamental reform of the German political system. He presents his ideas in a well-structured manner while shunning plain polemics. The manifesto evolves around the idea of four hierarchically structured parliaments. From bottom to top, these are a parliament concerned with economic affairs, a parliament for domestic policies and foreign affairs, a parliament dedicated to cultural issues and on the highest level, a parliament that solely reflects on the basic values of human interaction.
Hereby overcoming the primacy of economics over politics, Heinrichs aims at nothing less than fulfilling the promises made by the enlightenment. However, due to the idealistic nature of the manifesto, some questions remain: how can these long-term proposals be realized in the context of problem-oriented day-to-day politics? How will the four parliaments handle the problem of selectivity, regarding the fact that political issues are exceedingly entwined these days?
As a matter of fact, daring to raise fundamental questions about democracy like the preceding is the greatest merit of the manifesto. It is therefore a thought-provoking and much-needed work that can be applied to all parliamentary democracies.
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Theory U:
Leading from the Future as it Emerges
by C. Otto
Scharmer – SoL press, 2007
Based on ten years of research and action learning, "Theory U" develops and explores a new approach for conducting scientific research, pursuing institutional change and practicing transformational leadership.
In "Theory U", Scharmer states that challenges cannot be adequately addressed by reflecting on past solutions or relying on hierarchical top-down or bottom-up processes only. Instead, he envisions the so-called "presencing" process, involving all relevant stakeholders on all levels and their shared viewpoints of the challenge in focus. A multiple-step-process is developed that enables the reader to view problems and challenges from different viewpoints and on other terms and conditions.
The editors of JPoX think that "Theory U" is compelling reading which offers a fresh and different view on problem solutions applicable to challenges to the political realm and the improvement of existing political systems as well.
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Democracy in Divided Societies: Electoral Engineering for Conflict Management
by Benjamin Reilly – Cambridge University press, 2001
As it appears that Political Excellence is also conceived as striving to enhance participation in the Politics, this book is a useful tool bringing empirical data from the worst case scenario: countries plagued by ethnic cleavages. It illustrates all the devices and the engineering that has been tried and evokes interesting comparisons with the increasingly divided societies in Western cities.
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The Theory of Institutional Design
by Robert Goodin - Cambridge University press, 2003
It is a systematization of Institutional design and also bridges the previous book achievements to the problems of Western states (UK – British Welfare state) and other countries worldwide. Institutional design expounds the idea that main sectors of society—the state, the market and the “Third Sector"— have distinct functions and distinctive accountability.
The matter is addressed with an engineering and philosophical approach: subjects of accountability (actions, results and intentions, respectively) and mechanisms of accountability (hierarchy, competition and cooperative networking, respectively).
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Empire
by Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri , Harvard University Press, 2001
After the end of communism as an ideology there is a need of a holistic approach on world problems. There is a need of a book that tries a comprehensive and ultimate explanation on history and society insofar, but at the same time that shuns futurologist trust of technologic process in the frame of an enduring American-style democracy. Empire is generally acknowledged to be that book, considering other possibilities of participation and finding new global actors aside from states and regions.
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