Contributions are invited for a special issue of Theoria aimed at examining the relationship between democracy and exchange, polity and economy or state and market. The theme of this special issue has been inspired by David Reisman’s significant and very fine book by that title, Democracy and Exchange: Schumpeter, Galbraith, T.H. Marshall, Titmuss and Adam Smith (2005).

Contributors are encouraged to consider the relationship between democracy and exchange under any one of three main headings. The first involves the critical appreciation, by way of exegesis, of seminal thinkers in the field of political economy, broadly understood: Galbraith, Keynes, Malthus, Marshall, Marx, Mill, Ricardo, Schumpeter, Smith, Titmuss and others. This may involve either an engagement with any one of them, or by way of a comparative assessment. The second invites contributions aimed at extending contemporary discussion around the key organizing concepts of democracy and exchange in new and different ways. The third is an invitation to engage directly with David Reisman’s Democracy and Exchange, which recounts, with brilliance and compelling erudition, the key contributions of five of the major thinkers mentioned above.

The relationship between democracy and exchange is analytically of major moment, and exploring and clarifying it remains a central task – if not the central task – of political and social theory. Historical and comparative perspectives on this relationship, both discipline-specific and interdisciplinary, will also be welcomed.

The deadline for submission of papers is 28 February 2009. An electronic version of the paper (between 6000 and 8000 words in length, with Harvard-style referencing and preferably in MSWord), including an abstract, six keywords and a short biography, should be sent to: Roger Deacon, Managing Editor: THEORIA, deacon@ukzn.ac.za.

General information regarding Theoria may be obtained from its website: http://www.theoria.ukzn.ac.za/