Open Institutions: The Hope for Democracy

Democratization involves far more than instituting a few democratic practices, such as universal sufferage. Instead, people must be able to debate issues, have access to diverse sources of information, be able to tolerate viewpoints that are disliked, and have access to every aspect of government. But before today's society can be considered truly democratic, the entire culture must be democratized. Thus persons will demand autonomy and the freedom required to be self-governed.

Yet, as Murphy and Peck and the analysts brought together for this collection point out, self-government or democracy does not occur in a vacuum. Democracy will occur only when personal autonomy, critical thought, and the desire for self-government are encouraged by social institutions. In this collection, these and other considerations related to real, participatory democracy are the focus of attention. As such the volume will be of concern to political sociologists and those interested in social change.