Organizing Democracy

Henk te Velde, Maartje Janse

This book explores the new types of political organization that emerged in (western) Europe and the United States during the nineteenth century, from popular meetings to single-issue organizations and political parties. The development of these has often been used to demonstrate a move towards democratic representation or political institutionalization. This book challenges the idea that the development of ?democracy? is a story of rise and progress at all. It argues that it is rather a story of continuous but never completely satisfying attempts of interpreting the rule of the people.