TY - BOOK AU - Giorgio Agamben AU - William McCuaig TI - Democracy in what state? T2 - New directions in critical theory SN - 9780231152990 U1 - 321.8 AGA PY - 2011/// CY - New York PB - : Columbia University Press KW - Social Sciences KW - ;Democracy KW - POLITICAL SCIENCE -- Political Ideologies -- Democracy N1 - Foreword by the French Publisher; Translator's Note; Introductory Note on the Concept of Democracy -Giorgio Agamben; The Democratic Emblem -Alain Badiou; Permanent Scandal -Daniel Bensaïd; "We Are All Democrats Now ..." -Wendy Brown; Finite and Infinite Democracy -Jean-Luc Nancy; Democracies Against Democracy: An Interview with Eric Hazan -Jacques Rancière; Democracy for Sale -Kristin Ross; From Democracy to Divine Violences -Slavoj žižek; Notes; Authors N2 - Is it meaningful, as far as you are concerned, to call oneself a democrat? And if so, how do you interpret the word?"" In responding to this question, eight iconoclastic thinkers prove the rich potential of democracy and its critical weaknesses. They also reconceive the practice to accommodate new political and cultural realities. Giorgio Agamben traces the tense history of constitutions and their coexistence with various governments. Alain Badiou contrasts current democratic practice with democratic communism. Daniel Bensaid ponders the institutionalization of democracy, while Wendy ER -