Frances Rosenbluth

“A trenchant and fiercely argued diagnosis of the growing pathology of representative democracy.”— John Dunn, Emeritus Professor of Political Theory and Fellow of King's College, Cambridge

"Democracies that serve majorities over the long run require strong, cohesive legislative parties. Full stop. In their brilliant analysis of party systems across post-industrial democracies—steeped in the latest scholarship, animated by dramatic stories, and made urgent by the dangerous flowering of extremist parties and demagogues—Rosenbluth and Shapiro serve as expert, impassioned guides to why we must have strong parties and why, in efforts to be more representative, parties everywhere are failing democracy."—Nancy Rosenblum, Senator Joseph Clark Research Professor of Ethics in Politics and Government, Harvard University

"One of the best books in many years on comparative democratic politics . . . compelling, courageous, and unconventional . . . A must read for anyone interested in how to restore the vitality of our democratic institutions and politics."—Richard H. Pildes, Sudler Family Professor of Law, NYU School of Law

“Other political parties across the Western world have, in the past few years, experienced hostile takeovers of their own . . . Responsible Parties is one of the first books to give serious attention to the political effects of this transformation.”—Yascha Mounk, New Yorker

“This densely argued but readily accessible book is full of fascinating asides worthy of books of their own. . . . A book of big ideas backed by fine-grained analyses, worthy of attention by readers with an interest in history and contemporary events alike.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“This isn’t the story we’re taught in high-school civics. But it’s a compelling one, powerfully told by two scholars with mastery of their subject. The authors walk the reader through 2,500 bloody years of Western history, from the Peloponnesian wars to the war in Vietnam, highlighting, again and again, a brutal trade-off: The emergence and consolidation of democracy depends on warfare, and a particular kind of warfare, at that…Their magisterial volume makes the case in persuasive and explicit detail.” — Rosa Brooks, Wall Street Journal

“llluminating…The book begins with fascinating chapters about war and democracy in classical Athens and Rome; later chapters explore the nineteenth century’s grand armies and the emergence of “total war” in the twentieth century, which had profound effects on the expansion of democratic life in the West.” — G. John Ikenberry, Foreign Affairs