p. 11. Introduction
- Christian Welzel,
- Ronald Inglehart,
- Patrick Bernhangen
- , and Christian W. Haerpfer
Abstract
This chapter introduces the new edition of Democratization against the backdrop of a new pessimism about Democracy. It anticipates the major themes pursued in the book by discussing democracy’s persistent culture-boundedness and societal pre-conditions. The chapter concludes by highlighting economic inequality as major threat to democracy while emphasizing democracy’s value for human, political, and social life.
