Given the weaknesses of mainstream democratisation since the 1980s, the authors present a cutting edge examination of dynamics of political change in the direction of more substantive democracy. While focusing on the Global South, they also draw comparisons from historical and contemporary experiences from Scandinavia.

PART I: TRANSFORMATIVE POLITICS IN HISTORICAL AND COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE 1. Transformative Democratic Politics; K.Stokke & O.Törnquist 2. The Relevance of the Scandinavian Experiences; K.Stokke & O.Törnquist 3. Participation and Democratic Transformation: Building Effective Citizenship in Brazil, India and South Africa; P.Heller 4. Social Movements and the 'Pink Tide' Governments in Latin America: Transformation, Inclusion and Rejection; B.Bull 5. Paradigmatic Failures of Transformative Democratic Politics: Indonesia and Sri Lanka in Comparative Perspective; K.Stokke & O.Törnquist PART II: TRANSFORMATIVE POLITICS IN THE CONTEXT OF GROWTH ECONOMIES 6. Accumulation and Inequality in China: What Spaces for Inclusion and Welfare?; K.Nordhaug 7. Globalisation and Democracy: The Equivocality of a Relationship; N.Chandhoke 8. Transformative Democratic Politics in Liberalising India?; J.Harriss 9. Trade Unions and Transformative Democratic Politics: Political Representation and Popular Mobilisation during Local Government Reform in South Africa; D.C.Jordhus-Lier 10. Transformation Institutionalized? Making Sense of Participatory Democracy in the Lula Era; G.Baiocchi, E.Braathen & A.C.Teixeira PART III: POTENTIALS FOR POST-CLIENTELIST TRANSFORMATIONS 11. Post-clientelist Initiatives; J.Manor 12. From Populism to Democratic Polity: Problems and Challenges in Solo, Indonesia; P.Lay & C.Lay 13. Re-politicizing Local Government for Politics of Transformation: Arguments from Sri Lanka; J.Uyangoda 14. Experiences and Strategic Intervention in Transformative Democratic Politics; K.Stokke & O.Törnquist