Has there ever been a period in modern history when democratic politics seemed more unpredictable or unruly? The old rules by which politics was once both ordered and understood have waned, in the face of a set of global challenges almost beyond control or comprehension. In terms of understanding these challenges, there are very few commentators who can run the gamut from democracy to disgust, from the micro to the macro and from love to loathing. And yet this is exactly what Matthew Flinders delivers, expertly ranging across topics including architecture, art, fell running and fairy tales in an attempt to understand the emerging democratic landscape. Linking academic scholarship with popular culture, this refreshing and stimulating book seeks to provoke and inform in equal measure.
O autorze
Matthew Flinders is Founding Director of the Sir Bernard Crick Centre for the Public Understanding of Politics at the University of Sheffield – the first research centre of its kind in the world. He is also Chair of the UK Political Studies Association and a member of the board of the Academy of Social Sciences. In recent years his research and writing have focused on (amongst other issues) the rise of anti-politics, the mental wellbeing of politicians and models of democracy. He has written and presented a number of documentaries for the BBC and frequently writes for newspapers, magazines and websites around the world and currently holds a Professorial Fellowship within the House of Commons.