"Americans have an unwavering faith in democracy and are ever eager to export it to nations around the world. But how democratic is our own "democracy"? If you can vote, if the majority rules, if you have elected representatives - does this automatically mean that you have a democracy? In this eye-opening look at an ideal that we all take for granted, classical scholar Paul Woodruff offers some surprising answers to these questions." "Drawing on classical literature, philosophy, and history - with many intriguing passages from Sophocles, Aesop, and Plato, among others - Woodruff immerses us in the world of ancient Athens to uncover how the democratic impulse first came to life. If we learn anything from the story of Athens, Woodruff concludes, it should be this - never lose sight of the ideals of democracy. This compact book illuminates these ideals and lights the way as we struggle to keep democracy alive at home and around the world."--Jacket.
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