Sociologists, Economists, and Democracy (Midway Reprint)

By Brian M. Barry

Book Overview

"Rationalist theories of political behavior have recently risen in status to that of a new--or, more accurately, rediscovered--paradigm in the systematic study of politics. Brian Barry's short, provocative book played no small part in the debate that precipitated this shift. . . . Without reservation, Barry's treatise is the most lucid and most influential critique of two important, competing perspectives in political analysis: the 'sociological' school of Talcott Parsons, Gabriel Almond, and other so-called functionalists; and the 'economic' school of Anthony Downs and Mancur Olson, among others."--Dennis J. Encarnation, American Journal of Sociology

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0226038246
• ISBN13: 9780226038247
• Release Date: September 1988
• Publisher: University of Chicago Press
• Length: 212 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.6" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

How economists and sociologists explain

This little book is a gem. By discussing how economists and sociologists have tried to explain political behavior, Barry discusses some conceptual problems within the social sciences at large. The value of reading this book comes not only from the lucid treatment of it's main objective: the successes and failures of the economic and sociological approaches to political behavior. It is also a great help to understand the foundations and implicit assumptions within these approaches. The treatment is exceptionally lucid and should be of interest not only to students of political science.