The Deep Roots of Modern Democracy
Geography and the Diffusion of Political Institutions

Explores the deep roots of modern democracy, focusing on geography and long-term patterns of global diffusion.

John Gerring (Author), Brendan Apfeld (Author), Tore Wig (Author), Andreas Forø Tollefsen (Author)

9781009114899, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 25 August 2022

360 pages, 24 b/w illus. 8 maps 54 tables
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.7 cm, 0.703 kg

'The authors use a wealth of evidence to build a powerful case that the roots of modern democracy as we know it today lie in a long process involving openness to the outside world as well as the diffusion of ideas and practices. As a part of this harbors-a feature of the natural environment-played a prominent role. This is a must read for anyone interested in the deep history of democracy.' David Stasavage, Julius Silver Professor, The Wilf Family Department of Politics, New York University

This book explores the deep roots of modern democracy, focusing on geography and long-term patterns of global diffusion. Its geographic argument centers on access to the sea, afforded by natural harbors which enhance the mobility of people, goods, capital, and ideas. The extraordinary connectivity of harbor regions thereby affected economic development, the structure of the military, statebuilding, and openness to the world – and, through these pathways, the development of representative democracy. The authors' second argument focuses on the global diffusion of representative democracy. Beginning around 1500, Europeans started to populate distant places abroad. Where Europeans were numerous they established some form of representative democracy, often with restrictions limiting suffrage to those of European heritage. Where they were in the minority, Europeans were more reticent about popular rule and often actively resisted democratization. Where Europeans were entirely absent, the concept of representative democracy was unfamiliar and its practice undeveloped.

Part I. Introduction: 1. Deep roots
2. Democracy
Part II. Maritime geography: 3. Harbors and democracy
4. Harbors
5. Regional comparisons
6. Global analyses
7. Mechanisms
Part III. European diffusion: 8. Globalization and democracy
9. European Ancestry
10. Colonial and post-colonial eras
11. Global analyses
Part IV. Alternate explanations: 12. Modalities of Geography
13. Modalities of European diffusion
14. Economics, Institutions, culture
Part V: Conclusions: 15. A summary view
16. Connectedness
Appendix A: Variables
References.

Subject Areas: Political economy [KCP], Comparative politics [JPB], Sociology [JHB], General & world history [HBG]