Democracy and Totalitarianism: A Theory of Political Regimes

This new work by Professor Aron deals with the theory of political regimes in modern industrial societies. In lucid style, and with a lively use of analogy, the author outlines the concepts and variables involved in an analytical treatment of the subject, and then proceeds to detailed studies of the two main types of political regime in contemporary society. These he calls the constitutional-pluralistic and the monopolistic party regimes. The structure and development of both types are examined. The Fourth Republic in France is treated as a model for the degeneration of the first type of regime, and the Soviet system serves as a model for the monopolistic party type. In the final section of the book, Professor Aron draws some far-reaching conclusions from his comparisons of the two types, and the study as a whole will be of great value to those interested in sociology and in contemporary political systems.