Critically assesses conceptions of democracy in different republican traditions Republican conceptions of the relationship between freedom, law and politics had a profound impact on the American and the French Revolutions and have influenced the development of most contemporary democratic political systems. This volume directly engages with the relationship and differences between the key strands in contemporary republican political theory. It brings together leading international scholars representing the most important positions in republican political theory today: neorepublicanism, Kantian republicanism, and populist as well as realist republicanism. For the first time these positions directly engage with each other, making this book an essential text for students and researchers in political theory and philosophy. Key Features - Presents the different strands in republican theory, allowing readers to understand the differences and parallels between the various traditions - Introduces a range of conceptions of a democratic rule of law, relevant to political and legal discussions relating to the role of legislation, the seperation of powers, executive prerogatives and civil society - Discusses the foundations of political freedom including nondomination and autonomy and shows how these relate to fundamental questions in political and legal theory such as the relationship between law and freedom, and the idea of democratic self-rule - Investigates the relationship between democracy and constitutionalism and shows the far-reaching implications for contemporary politics including the power of government over its citizens, and political order in the age of globalization - Brings the Kantian public law-based model of republican democracy into communication with the Anglo-Amercian for the first time, leading to a new understanding of the importance of the rule of law for democracy - Shows how neorepublicanism relates to the heritage of Rousseauian or Arendtian conceptions of popular sovereignty and participatory democracy - Includes leading authors in the field of contemporary republicanism: Richard Bellamy, James Bohman, John Ferejohn, Rainer Forst, Marco Geuna, Cécile Laborde, John P. McCormick, Philip Pettit, Jack Rakove and Galya Benarieh Ruffer Andreas Niederberger is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Duisburg-Essen. Philipp Schink is Assistant Professor of Philosophy, also at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Frankfurt. Cover image: Ohne Titel, 1925, Ilja Grigorewitsch Tschaschnik (c) akg-images. Cover design: [EUP logo] www.euppublishing.com