Book contents
- Democracy at Work
- Democracy at Work
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Preface and Acknowledgments
- Interviews
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- 1 Democracy at Work
- 2 Building Pathways for Change
- 3 Research Design, Methods, and Variables
- 4 Reducing Poverty: Broadening Access to Income
- 5 Improving Health: Saving Lives
- 6 Empowering Women: Saving Mothers and Enhancing Opportunities
- 7 Educating Society: Promoting Public Education and Learning
- 8 Pathways at Work: Lessons from Brazil’s Poor Northeast
- Conclusion
- Appendix Democracy at Work Pathways to Well-Being in Brazil
- References
- Index
1 - Democracy at Work
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 September 2019
- Democracy at Work
- Democracy at Work
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Preface and Acknowledgments
- Interviews
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- 1 Democracy at Work
- 2 Building Pathways for Change
- 3 Research Design, Methods, and Variables
- 4 Reducing Poverty: Broadening Access to Income
- 5 Improving Health: Saving Lives
- 6 Empowering Women: Saving Mothers and Enhancing Opportunities
- 7 Educating Society: Promoting Public Education and Learning
- 8 Pathways at Work: Lessons from Brazil’s Poor Northeast
- Conclusion
- Appendix Democracy at Work Pathways to Well-Being in Brazil
- References
- Index
Summary
Like its practice, democracy is a rich, muddied, and highly contested concept. Many democratic theorists highlight the central role of participation, contestation, and citizenship as core principles (Marshall 1950; Dahl 1971; Pateman 2012).Dryzek reminds us that democracy is “dynamic and open-ended,” which allows for formerly excluded citizens to expand their access to rights, public goods, and deliberative policy-making venues (Dryzek 2000: 29). We showcase the ways that multiple features of democracy contribute to well-being by developing theory that connects participation, citizenship rights, and an inclusive state apparatus to well-being.
The core of this book’s argument is that three democratic pathways – participatory institutions, rights-based social policies, and an inclusive state apparatus – help explain local variation in well-being. Each pathway directly connects core features of democracy to local governance and public goods provision, which in turn contribute to performance surrounding poverty reduction, health care, women’s empowerment, and education.
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- Information
- Democracy at WorkPathways to Well-Being in Brazil, pp. 22 - 57Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2019