In this book, @adamprz.bsky.social first studies how elections work and then offers a detailed discussion of what competitive elections can attain and why they should (realistically) be valued. It is accessible, clearly written and synthesizes a lot of Przeworski’s thinking about the matter.

𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗼𝗽𝗵𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 Are you interested in the philosophy of science? This 16-volume Handbook is a superb resource. For information on the handbook: www.overdrive.com/series/handb...

Causal Mechanisms These are book, ordered by year of publication (starting in 2013), that have contributed to our knowledge about causal mechanisms in the natural and social sciences.

Politics in France This new book by Cagé and Piketty looks like an interesting read for social scientists in general. Read the Introduction and Conclusion here: piketty.pse.ens.fr/files/CagePi...

The Past, Present and Future of Democracy Political theorists John Dunn has written a wonderful history of democracy in his book 𝘚𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘦. Now he provides his reflections on the present and future of democracy. To download the article: link.springer.com/content/pdf/...

𝗣𝗼𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆 These three books offer interesting discussions of one of the issues of our times, populism and its relationship to democracy

Current Challenges to Democracy These are some books that are worth reading to think about contemporary political trends and the state of democracy. They share a concern with threats to democracy but offer somewhat different analyses.

On the Origins of Democracy This new book by Lars Behrisch - published by ‪@universitypress.cambridge.org‬ – is something I will be reading when it comes out in September. The contents look interesting. Read the first 10 pages here: assets.cambridge.org/97813165/163...

Changes in Capitalism Since 1900 In his new book, Brazilian economist and advocate of New Developmentalism, Bresser-Pereira provides a broad ranging discussion of the political economy of 20th- and 21st-century capitalism. For information on the book: academic.oup.com/book/59728

Dahl and Political Equality I am rereading Dahl’s 𝘖𝘯 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘌𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺. Dahl’s focus on big important questions, clarity of thought and straight-forward language makes this an engaging book.

Stokes on Inequality and Democratic Backsliding In her forthcoming @princetonupress.bsky.social‬ book, Susan Stokes makes a case that the key factor that explains democratic erosion is income inequality.👇 I'll be reading this book. For information on the book: press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗼𝗽𝗵𝘆 This set of volumes by @universitypress.cambridge.org is a wonderful resource to learn about the history of philosophy.

Tsebelis on Constitutional Change This new @cambup-polsci.cambridge.org‬ book by political scientists George Tsebelis will surely be of interest to constitutional scholars and students of political institutions. Open access: www.cambridge.org/core/service...

Juan Linz on Time, Regime Change and Democracy Many ways of theorizing are static and ignore temporality. These two pieces by Juan Linz help us factor in time to our thinking about regime change and democracy. Download of Time and Regime Change: www.academia.edu/39305964/II_...

Fundamental Works of Fernand Braudel Two of Braudel’s major works include 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘯 (2 Vols) and 𝘊𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘮 (3 Vols). His book 𝘖𝘯 𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 contains reflections on historical research.

Polanyi on capitalism This book by Polanyi is a classic. It puts the focus on what he calls the double movement generated by capitalism: the movement toward a market society and the countermovement that seeks to create social protections. Free download: ia801401.us.archive.org/6/items/in.e...

Jared Diamond, a biologist and geographer, is the author of this wide-ranging and stimulating trilogy on the evolution of societies. He places emphasis on ecological conditions, resource availability, and the influence of technology. 🧵 with links to download the first two books

𝗛𝗼𝗯𝘀𝗯𝗮𝘄𝗺 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 One of the treats for those who are interested in history is to read through Eric Hobsbawm's four volumes on different ages, going from the French Revolution through the end of the Cold War. They make for very rewarding reading.

Poverty and Subjective Well-being in Latin America This new Cambridge Element combines objective and subjective approaches to the assessment of poverty. It relies on data on Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Paraguay, Peru & Uruguay. Free download: www.cambridge.org/core/element...

Path dependence The papers by David & Arthur that launched the study of path dependence. & the paper by Pierson that brought the idea into political science. David: sjbae.pbworks.com/f/David+1985... Arthur: www.rochelleterman.com/ir/sites/def... Pierson: www.critical-juncture.net/uploads/2/1/...

Systems Theory and International Relations (IR) These are three interesting books that bring ideas from systems theory to bear on IR. Tang adds some ideas from evolutionary theory.

In this book, historian Perry Anderson discusses the ideas of a series of influential thinkers, including Mann, Bobbio, Roberto Unger, Gellner, Berlin and Braudel. It is an interesting and perceptive text.

Time in the Study of Politics This recent Oxford Handbook has many interesting chapters on the way time is factored in in the study of politics. For information on the Handbook: academic.oup.com/edited-volum...

Historical Social Science I am wrapping up some readings on the role of time in the social sciences. These are some of the books that, in different ways, contribute ideas to this discussion.

The Uses of History in Democracy Studies I am reading this @cambup-polsci.cambridge.org‬ book to understand how current research studies distal causes. Lee & @jackpaine_prof focus on the impact of colonial rule on the prospects of democracy. For a summary: cambridgeblog.org/2024/04/colo...

Causation is central to the (social) sciences. And, as these two great introductions to the large literature on causation show, there are different approaches to causation. On Illari and Russo: global.oup.com/academic/pro... On the Oxford Handbook: academic.oup.com/edited-volum...

Mario Bunge set out to build a comprehensive scientific philosophy. He discussed ontology, epistemology and semantics, and supported scientific realism, systemism, materialism, emergentism and humanism. This volume discusses his life and ideas.

The Art and Science of Cause and Effect This text is based on a presentation by Judea Pearl on the topic of the causality. It is entertaining and illuminating. Download: bayes.cs.ucla.edu/BOOK-2K/caus...

𝗣𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹 𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Judea Pearl is an author who has had a big impact on the way in which causal relationships are studied. 𝘊𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 is a tough read. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘞𝘩𝘺 is more accessible.

More on a Historical Social Science William Sewell considers the relationship between history and social science from the perspective of social theory (others do so more from a methodological perspective). See the Table of Contents & Chapter 1 here: api.pageplace.de/preview/DT04...

Macpherson on democracy The Canadian political theorist C.B. Macpherson offered a critical view of democratic theory. He places considerable emphasis on the impact of property. These are some of the books in which he elaborated his views.

These two books by Australian historian Christopher Lloyd offer a very useful, philosophically-based critical survey of key issue in a historical social science. He criticizes relativism and favors realism. He emphasizes causation.

Reinhard Bendix Bendix was a macro comparative sociologist. His two major works are still relevant readings for those interested in the state, the nation and democracy.

Rereading Mario Bunge I'm thinking about how to use more precise metatheoretical ideas in the study of democracy. To this end, I'm rereading these two books by Bunge to better understand the ideas of emergence, cause and causal mechanism.

Democracy in Latin America Raúl Madrid's new book on the origins of democracy in South America has just been published by @cambup-polsci.cambridge.org‬ - and we're lucky that it's open access. A highly recommended read. Open access: www.cambridge.org/core/service...

In this book, Amartya Sen considers how conflict and violence are sustained today by the illusion of a unique identity and rejects the idea of a "clash of civilizations.” Human identities are more complex. Free download: readersbreak.com/wp-content/u...

Norberto Bobbio concludes his chapter on "The Rule of Men or the Rule of Law" this way. 👇 His point has many implications for how we think about the relationship between democracy and the law.

This is a book I am reading for a faculty book club. It focuses largely on universities in Europe during the twentieth century. Yet it provides useful background for a discussion about academic freedom and government intervention in university life in the twenty-first century.

Capitalism in Latin America The literature on varieties of capitalism in Latin America can be seen as an effort to update the classic work of Cardoso and Faletto. It offers a rich and thought-provoking analysis comparing various countries in Latin America. Thread with downloads

Capitalism & democracy The capitalism-democracy relationship has been studied from what I call a power structure perspective (top row) & a political economy one (bottom row)👇 A key issue this literature grapples with are the precise conditions under which capitalism & democracy are compatible

I react with ambivalence when I read stories about academics leaving the US for jobs abroad As Hirschman argued, exit and voice might be linked. But Rokkan argued that the control of exits – a feature of territorial states - indirectly favored the channeling of voice and the demand for democracy.

José "Pepe" Mujica, former president of Uruguay, has passed away. He was an Uruguayan who transcended borders and was known for his austere standard of living. He became an exemplary leftist leader - due to his strong democratic conviction. His legacy will be felt for years.

Now it is WEEK 12: adamprzeworski.substack.com/p/week-12. As always, also appended to the running Diary: adamprzeworski.substack.com/p/diary

𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮 We have a new "American pope." However, there are several Americas in the Western Hemisphere. Here are some of them.👇

I just opened my Bluesky account. Expect posts about the social sciences (e.g., books, research projects), democracy, and Latin American politics and society. I tend to share materials I come across in my research that might be of interest to others. I hope to find people I used to follow on X