Breve historia de la democracia

From its origins in Syria and Mesopotamia (but not in Athens) to today, going through its moments of greatest revolutionary fervor in France and America, democracy has always questioned the stereotyped ways of understanding who should hold power and privileges, and why. . Democracy invites us to carry out a radical action: consider ourselves equal and decide for ourselves about our lives and our future. John Keane traces how this concept arose and evolved, from the first assembly democracies to our "monitored" democracy, a term that refers to the current system, in which politicians do not answer to voters only on election day, but instead They are subjected to constant scrutiny (monitoring) before public opinion due to the effect of the media. Although, according to Keane, this is the most complex and intense form of democracy deployed to date, it is not without its threats. In a time of continuous crises and in which new despots, demagogues and oligarchs are taking shape on the global political scene, it becomes more necessary than ever to revive the radical potential of democracy. In these pages the reader will find new and solid reasons to defend this valuable ideal.