Table of Contents

Part I. Introduction: 1. Deep roots; 2. Democracy; Part II. Maritime geography: 3. Harbors and democracy; 4. Harbors; 5. Regional comparisons; 6. Global analyses; 7. Mechanisms; Part III. European diffusion: 8. Globalization and democracy; 9. European Ancestry; 10. Colonial and post-colonial eras; 11. Global analyses; Part IV. Alternate explanations: 12. Modalities of Geography; 13. Modalities of European diffusion; 14. Economics, Institutions, culture; Part V: Conclusions: 15. A summary view; 16. Connectedness; Appendix A: Variables; References.

Promotional Information

Explores the deep roots of modern democracy, focusing on geography and long-term patterns of global diffusion.

About the Author

John Gerring is Professor of Government at the University of Texas at Austin. Brendan Apfeld is a data scientist at CVS Health. Tore Wig is a professor of Political Science at the University of Oslo. Andreas Forø Tollefsen is a Senior Researcher at the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO).

Reviews

'This book replaces the stereotyped generalizations in comparative politics with something genuinely novel, comparative and historical. A remarkable and exciting innovation.' James Robinson, The Reverend Dr. Richard L. Pearson Professor of Global Conflict Studies, University of Chicago

'The authors use a wealth of evidence to build a powerful case that the roots of modern democracy as we know it today lie in a long process involving openness to the outside world as well as the diffusion of ideas and practices. As a part of this harbors-a feature of the natural environment-played a prominent role. This is a must read for anyone interested in the deep history of democracy.' David Stasavage, Julius Silver Professor, The Wilf Family Department of Politics, New York University