With great insight and nuanced judgment, Shapiro weaves together three literatures-normative democratic theory, the empirical literature on democratization, and debates over the nature of power (and domination). And the book ranges even farther than that: The facility with which [Shapiro] incorporates economic theory, ethnographies of impoverished communities, and constitutional law is extraordinary.
Leonard C. Feldman, Perspectives on Politics [Shapiro's] ... Read morebook is not only an authoritative source, but also exceptionally clear, compact, and well written.
George Klosko, Review of Politics [Shapiro] is one of the leaders of an emerging literature that combines insights from political theory and empirical scholarship. In [this book], he deploys both to good effect. The book also couples impressive analytical sophistication with clarity of exposition that makes it accessible to lay readers.
Ilya Somin, Cato Journal Show Less