Democracy in the Undemocratic State: The German Reichstag Elections of 1898 and 1903

Agar Adamson is the author of Letters of Agar Adamson, 1914–19 and former chair of the Department of Political Science at Acadia University in Nova Scotia.

To what extent do states have to struggle in order to implement and
maintain principles of democracy? This book provides an excellent
examination of the problems of bringing democracy to Germany, and of the
difficult time Germans have had accepting the principles of electoral
democracy. In addition to his excellently researched history of the two
Reichstag elections, Fairbairn has produced a sound analysis of
political culture and the evolution of political parties, especially of
the Social Democratic Party. One of the central facts of German
electoral politics has been the division between Catholic (conservative)
and Protestant (social democrats) voters—a division that can be traced
to the Reichstag elections.

This study will serve as a very useful research tool for students of
history and political theory. Extensive appendixes, notes, and a
bibliography are included.