Silence and Democracy

Silence and Democracy, Volume 1, examines the complex relationship between political elites and the general public. John G Zumbrunnen utilizes Thucydides' history of the Peloponnesian War to analyze how Periclean Athens transitioned from a functional democracy to a system ruled by a single influential leader. This work of political science focuses on the distinction between contending voices and the collective silence of the demos.

By analyzing the interplay of speech and action, this study of political ideologies explores how the silence of ordinary citizens can facilitate the control of domineering elites. Zumbrunnen applies these ancient lessons to modern democracy, illustrating how similar patterns emerge in America and other contemporary nations. This volume provides a rigorous academic look at the domestic and international dimensions of democracy through a classical lens.