01115nam a22001457a 4500020001800000082001900018100005000037245005900087260004100146300001300187504001900200520067200219650005900891650001900950  a9780199471676  a320.954bBET-D  aBeteille, Andre                                aDemocracy and Its Institutions                          aDelhibOxford University Pressc2012  aix, 214p  aIncludes Index  aDemocracy rests on a delicate balance between two principles that may be called the rule of numbers and the rule of law. To ensure that the rule of law is not overwhelmed by the weight of numbers, democracy requires institutions. Examining democracy from an institutional perspective, this book studies such institutions as the Parliament, the courts of justice, and the systems of political parties, and brings out the contradictions between the ideals of democracy-such as equality and liberty-and the actual operation of government and politics. It introduces the reader to the distinction between law and custom, and between matters of right and matters of trust.  aDemocracyvPolitics and PartiesvPolitical Institution  aLaw and Custom