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Why read it?
1 author picked Perfecting Parliament as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
I admire this book partly because I disagree with its central hypothesis.
Congleton argues that democracy emerged through a sequence of consensual constitutional bargains between kings and their parliamentary opponents, with the threat of violence playing little role. I find that claim provocative rather than convincing, and that is precisely what makes the book so rewarding.
I especially like the way it combines a clear theoretical framework with detailed historical case studies that put real institutional flesh on the theoretical bones. The cases are illuminating, deeply researched, and written by an author with an exceptional command of constitutional history.
It…
From Toke's list on why rulers give up power and democratize.
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