After 30 years in print, THE IRONY OF DEMOCRACY still offers the freshest, most clear-sighted approach to American government available. In this Twelfth Edition, the authors again present an unrepentantly elitist approach to American democracy--contending that it is the elites and not the masses that govern our country. This edition uses elite theory to provide many new unique insights, including discussion of the 2000 elections and the events surrounding September 11.