This book examines 'informal' politics, such as gossip and political theatrics, and how they related to more 'formal' politics of assembly and courts.

Since it was no longer self-evident that "better men" meant "better government," critics of democracy sought new arguments to explain the relationship among pol

This book is the first in-depth study of the classical Athenian public sphere. It examines how public opinion was created by impromptu theatrics and by gossip,

Investigates the construction of democratic ideology in Classical Athens through a study of the social memory of Athens' mythical pastProposes a novel approach

When does democracy work well, and why? Is democracy the best form of government? These questions are of supreme importance today as the United States seeks to