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In his account of how democratic states have dealt with major crises over the past century, David Runciman argues that responsiveness to public opinion makes democracies more adaptable than autocratic regimes. They perform well in emergencies, but in doing so fall into a confidence trap since electoral politics demands short-term solutions at the expense of long-term planning. They are good at dealing with emergencies but bad at avoiding them.

Journal Article morton h. cowden. Russian Bolshevism and British Labor, 1911–1921. (East European Monographs, number 63.) Boulder, Colo.: East European Monographs; distributed by Columbia University Press. New York. 1984. Pp. viii, 238. $25.00 Get access Cowden Morton H.. Russian Bolshevism and British Labor, 1911–1921. (East European Monographs, number 63.) Boulder, Colo.: East European Monographs; distributed by Columbia University Press. New York. 1984. Pp. viii, 238. $25.00. Macintyre Stuart Macintyre Stuart University of Melbourne Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar The American Historical Review, Volume 90, Issue 5, December 1985, Pages 1191–1192, https://doi.org/10.1086/ahr/90.5.1191-a Published: 01 December 1985