Democracy is the most universal political ideal of our day. George Bush invoked it to justify invading Iraq; Obama congratulated the rebels of Tahrir Square for bringing it to Egypt; Occupy Wall Street claimed to have distilled its pure form. From the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea to the autonomous region of Rojava, practically every government and popular movement calls itself democratic.

But what is democracy, precisely? Is there a common thread that links all these different variants? And can any of them deliver on their promises?

In this critical appraisal, we trace democracy from its classical origins to its current ascendancy around the globe. Reviewing how democratic discourse has served recent social movements in the United States, Spain, Greece, Bosnia, Slovenia, and elsewhere worldwide, we conclude by asking what it would mean to seek freedom directly rather than through democratic rule.

This book grew out of years of international dialogue between participants in these social movements. Exploring how recent uprisings have been catalyzed and limited by democratic discourse, From Democracy to Freedom explores the difference between government and self-determination, proposing new ways to understand what we’re doing when we make decisions together.

For more critical material on democracy, you could consult our classic text, “The Party’s Over: Beyond Politics, Beyond Democracy,” our poster series on the subject (which became the chorus of a song), Uri Gordon’s guest column, or our “Vote Here” stickers, one of which is included free in every copy of From Democracy to Freedom.

This book is available in Portuguese here and in German here. You can download the flagship essay in Greek here.