Forthcoming open access books 

The Open Society as an Enemy: A critique of how free societies turned against themselves

About —

Nearly 80 years ago, Karl Popper gave a spirited philosophical defence of the Open Society in his two-volume work, The Open Society and Its Enemies. In this book, J. McKenzie Alexander argues that a new defence is urgently needed because, in the decades since the end of the Cold War, many of the values of the Open Society have come under threat once again. Populist agendas on both the left and right threaten to undermine fundamental principles that underpin liberal democracies, so that what were previously seen as virtues of the Open Society are now, by many people, seen as vices, dangers, or threats.    

The Open Society as an Enemy interrogates four interconnected aspects of the Open Society: cosmopolitanism, transparency, the free exchange of ideas, and communitarianism. Each of these is analysed in depth, drawing out the implications for contemporary social questions such as the free movement of people, the erosion of privacy, no-platforming and the increased political and social polarisation that is fuelled by social media. 

In re-examining the consequences for all of us of these attacks on free societies, Alexander calls for resistance to the forces of reaction. But he also calls for the concept of the Open Society to be rehabilitated and advanced. In doing this, he argues, there is an opportunity to re-think the kind of society we want to create, and to ensure it is achievable and sustainable. This forensic defence of the core principles of the Open Society is an essential read for anyone wishing to understand some of the powerful social currents that have engulfed public debates in recent years, and what to do about them.  

Praise for The Open Society as an Enemy  — 

"Many people have waded into the culture wars, but very few have rigorously and engagingly examined why the way we think about each other is changing. J McKenzie Alexander probes the assumptions we make about contemporary society and exposes who benefits from outrage and polarisation. Everyone who talks about the 'open society' and what it means should read this book."

— Ros Taylor, author of The Future of Trust

“I’m not sure I’ve ever read a work of political philosophy as forensic and yet so full of heart and humour as Jason McKenzie Alexander’s The Open Society as an Enemy. It’s not simply that the book applies an astonishing breadth of expertise to the most neuralgic issues of our time - from political and economic polarisation, political extremism, climate change and the lottery of birthplace, to no-platforming and the discursive anarchy of social media - it’s that McKenzie Alexander writes with deep empathy for those who doubt, by now, that the open society, in its various forms, can still work, and this makes his defence of it all the more compelling and complete.”

— Abby Innes, author of Late Soviet Britain: Why Materialist Utopias Fail

About the author —

J. McKenzie Alexander is a Professor in Phi­los­o­phy at the Department of Phi­los­o­phy, Logic and Scientific Method in the London School of Economics. From 2012 to 2018, Professor Alexander served as one of the Academic Governors on the Council of the LSE, as well as a member of the Court of Governors. From 2018–2021, he served as the Head of Department. Before joining the de­part­ment, Alexander was a Visiting As­sis­tant Pro­fess­or at the De­part­ment of Phi­los­o­phy, Uni­ver­sity of California - San Diego (between 2000 and 2001). Although J. McKenzie Alexander's original field of research concerned evolutionary game theory as applied to the evolution of morality and social norms, more recently he has worked on problems in decision theory, more broadly construed, including topics in formal epistemology. His most recent book, The Open Society as an Enemy, is forthcoming with the LSE Press in 2024.

Australia’s Evolving Democracy: A New Democratic Audit

About —

In recent times Australia has developed into one of the world’s leading liberal democracies. Its governments have delivered continuous economic growth for more than three decades, even against the turmoil of a global pandemic. And the country’s highly competitive elections and strong political institutions operate within a stable and balanced federal system.

In Australia’s Evolving Democracy a team of leading academic authors use an audit approach to critically explore the national government institutions, as well as state- and territory-level politics, and to examine how each has contributed to or held back Australian political life as it has changed and diversified. For instance, the top two parties’ monopoly of governance has only begun to adjust to a modern transition to multi-party politics, although balanced voting systems for two-house legislatures have allowed for some adaptation. To date, the country has successfully avoided both rancorous populist politics (as in the USA) and serious governance decline (as in the UK).

Each of the book’s 28 chapters tackles one institution or issue, outlining recent developments along with an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, to fully evaluate the state of Australian democracy in the 21st century. In doing so, the authors draw key lessons for other democracies, showing in detail how robust major and micro-institutions can guard against democratic ‘backsliding’ and policy failures.

This comprehensive audit also highlights scope for potential democratic improvements. Australia continues to confront the challenges of partisan political barriers to addressing climate change and improving the situation of First Nations peoples, redressing modern social inequalities, and responding to popular mistrust of government and politicians.

By taking an in-depth, nuanced approach to multiple democratic issues across the whole of the country’s distinctive political system, this book provides analysis that is accessible for students new to Australian politics, along with many insights for political scientists studying comparative democratic politics and Australian institutions.  

Praise for Australia’s Evolving Democracy — forthcoming.

About the editors —

Mark Evans (PhD, FIPAA, FRSN) is Vice President Research at Charles Sturt University and was formerly Director of Democracy 2025 at the Museum of Australian Democracy in Canberra from 2018 to 2022. Prior to this, he was Executive Director of the Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis at the University of Canberra (2009-18) and editor of the Q1 international journal Policy Studies (2004 to 2021). His research focuses on evaluating domestic and international evidence on how to improve democratic governance and practice. His most recent books include Saving Democracy (Bloomsbury Press, 2022, co-authored with Gerry Stoker) and From Turnbull to Morrison: The Trust Divide (Melbourne University Press, 2019 with Michelle Grattan and Brendan McCaffrie). 

Patrick Dunleavy is Emeritus Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science, and worked in the Department of Government at LSE from 1979 to 2020. He is also Emeritus Professor of Government at the University of Canberra, where he was Centenary Professor (2015-21). A Fellow of the British Academy and the Academy of Social Sciences, he also served as Founding Editor in Chief at LSE Press from 2020 to 2024. He was Director of the UK Democratic Audit from 2013-20. His recent books include The UK’s Changing Democracy: the 2018 Democratic Audit (open access from LSE Press, 2018, co-edited); and Maximizing the Impacts of Academic Research (Palgrave, 2021, now Bloomsbury Press, co-authored with Jane Tinkler).

John Phillimore is the Executive Director of the John Curtin Institute of Public Policy at Curtin University, Western Australia. He has written widely on federalism, public policy and public administration, and is a regular commentator on Australian and Western Australian politics. Professor Phillimore was appointed to the Ministerial Expert Committee on Electoral Reform in 2021 in Western Australia. Its recommendations led to the reform of the state’s voting system for the Legislative Council.

Other forthcoming titles

Navigating the 21st Century Business World: Case Studies in Management, edited by Dorottya Sallai and Alexander Pepper

How Africa Eats: Trade, Food Security and Climate Risks, edited by David Luke