{"product_id":"the-great-retreat-how-political-parties-should-behave-and-why-they-dont-hardcover-1","title":"The Great Retreat: How Political Parties Should Behave and Why They Don't - Hardcover","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eDidi Kuo\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs the crisis of democratic capitalism sweeps the globe, \u003cem\u003eThe Great Retreat\u003c\/em\u003e makes the controversial argument that what democracies require most are stronger political parties that serve as intermediaries between citizens and governments. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eOnce a centralizing force of the democratic process, political parties have eroded over the past fifty years. Parties now rank among the most unpopular institutions in society--less trusted than business, the police, and the media. Identification with parties has plummeted, and even those who are loyal to a party report feeling that parties care more about special interests than about regular citizens. What does a \"good\" political party look like? Why do we urgently need them? And how do we get them? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Great Retreat\u003c\/em\u003e explores the development of political parties as democracy expanded across the West in the nineteenth century. It focuses in particular on mass parties, and the ways they served as intermediaries that fostered ties between citizens and governments. While parties have become professionalized and nationalized, they have lost the robust organizational density that made them effective representatives. After the Cold War, a neoliberal economic consensus, changes to campaign finance, and shifting party priorities weakened the party systems of Western democracies. As Didi Kuo argues, this erosion of political parties has contributed to the recent crisis of democratic capitalism, as weak parties have ceded governance to the private sector. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFor democracy to adapt to a new era of global capitalism, Kuo makes the case that we need strong intermediaries like mass parties--socially embedded institutions with deep connections to communities and citizens. Parties are essential to long-term democratic stability and economic growth, while the breakdown of party systems, on the other hand, has historically led to democratic collapse. As trust in political parties has plummeted, \u003cem\u003e The Great Retreat \u003c\/em\u003eprovides a powerful defense of political parties--for without parties, democratic representation is impossible.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDidi Kuo\u003c\/strong\u003e is a Center Fellow at the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law at Stanford University. She is the author of \u003cem\u003eClientelism, Capitalism, and Democracy: The Rise of Programmatic Politics in the United States and Britain\u003c\/em\u003e, was an Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fellow at New America, and has written widely about democratization, capitalism, and political parties.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 224\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.93 x 9.31 x 6.48 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e February 03, 2025\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56125570285873,"sku":"9780197664193","price":40.3,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1004\/9532\/7537\/files\/KpdSfNA0fN9780197664193_23592f49-cd66-4a7c-ba69-614c553d4edd.webp?v=1788588651","url":"https:\/\/mitchellofficial.com\/products\/the-great-retreat-how-political-parties-should-behave-and-why-they-dont-hardcover-1","provider":"MITCHELL","version":"1.0","type":"link"}