The Sciences of the Democracies
Jean-Paul Gagnon (Author), Benjamin Abrams (Author)
The field of democracy studies is more constricted than it needs to be, as researchers, for all their insights, continue to study only fragments of democracy in isolation from each other. Seeking change, The Sciences of the Democracies proposes a groundbreaking means for holistic study, drawing on five sources of knowledge that will provide better understanding of democracy, or rather, of ‘the democracies’. These are: individual people, groups of people, non-textual media, texts, and non-humans.
This book details how the inclusion of these five sources across temporal, spatial, cultural, linguistic, and species contexts leads to the discovery of democratic practices and institutions hitherto unknown or unfamiliar to the conventional ‘Western’ perception. It promises to generate a new class of democratic theorist – the ‘Fourth Theorist’, who theorizes from thousands of multimedial democracy concepts – and it has the potential for generating better-founded, less arbitrary, more inclusive democratic theories. In doing so, the book considers the philosophical, institutional, educational, and methodological difficulties of the scientific understandings and undertakings it proposes. The book is a choral work of many collaborating authors. Their ambition is to offer a touchstone text for government and public officials, citizens, residents and visitors, researchers, practitioners, and philanthropists (big and small) participating in what is a vibrant global discussion on how to study and practice democracy equitably.
Note about authorship
About the authors
Key points for readers
Acknowledgements
1 The story of this book
2 The sciences of the democracies and cognates
3 Data mountains and their democratic theorists
4 New institutions: models for the useability of our data
5 Our public relations problem
6 Methodological complexities
7 Enter the dynamo
Essays in response
8 Democracy and the dangers of self-evident truths Matthew Flinders
9 A compelling but precarious way to study democracy Michael Saward
10 Between praiseworthy ambition and academic audacity Michael Freeden
11 The power of a 1,000-word blog Martin J. Bull and Johanne Døhlie Saltnes
References
Index
DOI: 10.14324/111.9781800089051
Publication date: 07 August 2025
PDF ISBN: 9781800089051
EPUB ISBN: 9781800089068
Read Online ISBN: 9781800089051
Hardback ISBN: 9781800089037
Paperback ISBN: 9781800089044
‘Rich and thought-provoking ideas, presented in a collective spirit and open to critical evaluations.’
The Loop
‘the authors offer innovative ways to engage with democracy and its various forms in dialogue with citizens’
Democratization
‘inspirational in its sweeping vision’
Polish Political Science Yearbook
‘This collectively-authored book is a manifesto for advancing the democratic project by studying the myriad ways in which people across time and space already know democracy-relevant practices and institutions. A timely and ambitious project aimed at forming and consolidating a new generation of democracy scholars.’
Mark E. Warren, University of British Columbia
‘The Sciences of the Democracies is a wonderful exploration of how we study democracy. Presented as an intervention and innovation in research design, the authors deliver a deep, timely, and inspiring reflection on democracy’s past, present, and future.’
Simone Chambers, University of California, Irvine
‘The Sciences of the Democracies introduces a genuinely original collaborative project of democratic learning and action. While breaking free from familiar academic constraints in its form and content, it is a record of ongoing research into the pluralism of democratic experiences, institutions and ideas, as well as of the different ways to study and build on them. It should be of interest to anyone who has ever wondered what democracy is, has been and might be.’
Annabelle Lever, Sciences-Po
‘This is a wonderfully ambitious book, whose great merit lies in its bold choice to view democracy as a phenomenon of continuous variation—a sine qua non not only for biological adaption in the face of challenge, but also for the democratic revitalization so urgently needed in today’s world.’
Frank Hendriks, Tilburg University
‘The Sciences of the Democracies offers exciting new possibilities in how we think about, discuss, theorize, and practice democracy. This book’s collaborative process demonstrates a democratic approach to the study of democracy. While some readers may find the project’s more ambitious aspects too optimistic, achieving just the practical recommendations – starting with the digital freely accessible database of democracy artefacts – will inject vitality into democracy discourses and practices and expand the horizons of theorists and activists. This is a major contribution to the renewal of democracy as the hope for better futures for peoples around the world.’ Sor Hoon Tan, Singapore Management University
‘The Sciences of the Democracies brings together a wide range of renowned scholars in the field of democracy. Detailed, inspiring, and meticulous, the book reveals the various understandings of democracy and compares its meaning across time, space, language, culture, and species. A must-read for anyone interested in the study of democracy.’
Christian Volk, Humboldt University
‘The Sciences of the Democracies is historically grounded in the widest range of experiences while also encouraging creative experimentation. Alive to difference and possibility, it is interested in recognizing how people solve problems together and build democratic worlds rather than in defending a process, method, or static set of institutions. In our moment of noisy autocrats seeking attention from the quietly disillusioned, the authors invite people back to the extraordinary possibilities of the democratic project wherever they live, work, and vote. Their joyful science is a treasure trove of ideas for academics, practitioners, and activists alike.’
Albert W. Dzur, Bowling Green State University
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The Sciences of the Democracies
Publication date: August 7, 2025
Open Access PDF ISBN: 9781800089051
Paperback ISBN: 9781800089044
Hardback ISBN: 9781800089037
Trim size (hardback): 23.4cm x 15.6cm
Trim size (paperback): 23.4cm x 15.6cm
The field of democracy studies is more constricted than it needs to be, as researchers, for all their insights, continue to study only fragments of democracy in isolation from each other. Seeking change, The Sciences of the Democracies proposes a groundbreaking means for holistic study, drawing on five sources of knowledge that will provide better understanding of democracy, or rather, of ‘the democracies’. These are: individual people, groups of people, non-textual media, texts, and non-humans.
This book details how the inclusion of these five sources across temporal, spatial, cultural, linguistic, and species contexts leads to the discovery of democratic practices and institutions hitherto unknown or unfamiliar to the conventional ‘Western’ perception. It promises to generate a new class of democratic theorist – the ‘Fourth Theorist’, who theorizes from thousands of multimedial democracy concepts – and it has the potential for generating better-founded, less arbitrary, more inclusive democratic theories. In doing so, the book considers the philosophical, institutional, educational, and methodological difficulties of the scientific understandings and undertakings it proposes. The book is a choral work of many collaborating authors. Their ambition is to offer a touchstone text for government and public officials, citizens, residents and visitors, researchers, practitioners, and philanthropists (big and small) participating in what is a vibrant global discussion on how to study and practice democracy equitably.
‘Rich and thought-provoking ideas, presented in a collective spirit and open to critical evaluations.’
The Loop
‘the authors offer innovative ways to engage with democracy and its various forms in dialogue with citizens’
Democratization
‘inspirational in its sweeping vision’
Polish Political Science Yearbook
‘This collectively-authored book is a manifesto for advancing the democratic project by studying the myriad ways in which people across time and space already know democracy-relevant practices and institutions. A timely and ambitious project aimed at forming and consolidating a new generation of democracy scholars.’
Mark E. Warren, University of British Columbia
‘The Sciences of the Democracies is a wonderful exploration of how we study democracy. Presented as an intervention and innovation in research design, the authors deliver a deep, timely, and inspiring reflection on democracy’s past, present, and future.’
Simone Chambers, University of California, Irvine
‘The Sciences of the Democracies introduces a genuinely original collaborative project of democratic learning and action. While breaking free from familiar academic constraints in its form and content, it is a record of ongoing research into the pluralism of democratic experiences, institutions and ideas, as well as of the different ways to study and build on them. It should be of interest to anyone who has ever wondered what democracy is, has been and might be.’
Annabelle Lever, Sciences-Po
‘This is a wonderfully ambitious book, whose great merit lies in its bold choice to view democracy as a phenomenon of continuous variation—a sine qua non not only for biological adaption in the face of challenge, but also for the democratic revitalization so urgently needed in today’s world.’
Frank Hendriks, Tilburg University
‘The Sciences of the Democracies offers exciting new possibilities in how we think about, discuss, theorize, and practice democracy. This book’s collaborative process demonstrates a democratic approach to the study of democracy. While some readers may find the project’s more ambitious aspects too optimistic, achieving just the practical recommendations – starting with the digital freely accessible database of democracy artefacts – will inject vitality into democracy discourses and practices and expand the horizons of theorists and activists. This is a major contribution to the renewal of democracy as the hope for better futures for peoples around the world.’ Sor Hoon Tan, Singapore Management University
‘The Sciences of the Democracies brings together a wide range of renowned scholars in the field of democracy. Detailed, inspiring, and meticulous, the book reveals the various understandings of democracy and compares its meaning across time, space, language, culture, and species. A must-read for anyone interested in the study of democracy.’
Christian Volk, Humboldt University
‘The Sciences of the Democracies is historically grounded in the widest range of experiences while also encouraging creative experimentation. Alive to difference and possibility, it is interested in recognizing how people solve problems together and build democratic worlds rather than in defending a process, method, or static set of institutions. In our moment of noisy autocrats seeking attention from the quietly disillusioned, the authors invite people back to the extraordinary possibilities of the democratic project wherever they live, work, and vote. Their joyful science is a treasure trove of ideas for academics, practitioners, and activists alike.’
Albert W. Dzur, Bowling Green State University
