Book excerpt: In this updated edition of the No-Nonsense Guide to Democracy, Richard Swift explores how democracy has been constricted and deformed by economic power-brokers and a self-serving political class from Birmingham to Bangalore. The book includes chapter-length discussions of topics such as the economic meltdown, Barack Obama, eco-democracy, democratizing the economy, and democracy in the Global South. It is not only a guide to the rich diversity of forms of elected government, but it also contains practical ideas for empowering today’s voters around the world.