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

'… an outstanding book which deserves to be widely read, which will stimulate debate on the origins and spread of representative democracy, and which should find its way into numerous syllabi, ranging from undergraduate to PhD-level courses.' David M. Willumsen, Austrian Journal of Political Science