SKU: 86804285365

Rationality and Power: Democracy in Practice

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Rationality and Power: Democracy in Practice"It's like the story of Little Town," an influential actor says in Rationality and Power when choosing a metaphor to describe how he manipulated rationality to gain power, "The bell ringer . . . has to set the church clock. So he calls the telephone exchange and asks what time it is, and the telephone operator looks out the window towards the church clock and says, 'It's five o'clock.' 'Good, ' says the bell ringer, 'then my clock is correct.'" In the

"It's like the story of Little Town," an influential actor says in Rationality and Power when choosing a metaphor to describe how he manipulated rationality to gain power, "The bell ringer . . . has to set the church clock. So he calls the telephone exchange and asks what time it is, and the telephone operator looks out the window towards the church clock and says, 'It's five o'clock.' 'Good, ' says the bell ringer, 'then my clock is correct.'"

In the Enlightenment tradition, rationality is considered well-defined, independent of context; we know what rationality is, and its meaning is constant across time and space. Bent Flyvbjerg shows that rationality is context-dependent and that the crucial context is determined by decision-makers' power. Power blurs the dividing line between rationality and rationalization. The result is a rationality that is often as imaginary as the time in Little Town, yet with very real social and environmental consequences.

Flyvbjerg takes us behind the scenes to uncover the real politics-and real rationality-of policy-making, administration, and planning in an internationally acclaimed project for environmental improvement, auto traffic reduction, land use, and urban renewal. The action takes place in the Danish city of Aalborg, but it could be anywhere. Aalborg is to Flyvbjerg what Florence was to Machiavelli: a laboratory for understanding power and what it means for our more general concerns of social and political organization. Policy-making, administration, and planning are examined in ways that allow a rare, in-depth understanding. The reader is a firsthand witness to the classic, endless drama that defines what democracy and modernity are, and what they can be.

The result is a fascinating narrative that is both concrete and general, current and timeless. Drawing on the ideas of Machiavelli, Nietzsche, Foucault, and Habermas, Flyvbjerg reads the Aalborg case as a metaphor of modernity and of modern politics, administration, and planning. Flyvbjerg uncovers the interplay of power and rationality that distorts policy deliberation. He demonstrates that modern "rationality" is but an ideal when confronted with the real rationalities involved in decision making by central actors in government, economy, and civil society. Flyvbjerg then elaborates on how this problem can be dealt with so that more fruitful deliberation and action can occur.

If the new millennium marks a recurrence of the real, Flyvbjerg's Rationality and Power epitomizes this development, setting new standards for social and political inquiry. Richly informed, powerfully argued, and clearly written, this is a book that no one trying to understand policy-making, administration, and planning can afford to overlook.

"Flyvbjerg employs a wide-ranging intellect, an enthusiastic and persuasive voice, academic rigor, and great discipline to distill years of research into an outstanding and accessible 250-page civics lesson. It begs for a readership outside academic and professional circles . . . Rationality and Power's value is undeniable as a handbook and forensic tool for anyone seeking a better understanding of and access to the democratic process."-Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

"It makes an extremely strong, and to the reviewer's mind incontrovertible, argument for placing the analysis of planning within the context of power relations. As a result it will also make a significant mark on the development of planning theory."-Geographical Journal

"A book that is to be recommended doubly, first to all those engaged in planning and implementation in a democratic context, and also to all those interested in empirical power research. Rationality and Power is rewarding even enthralling reading, a seminal contribution to its field."-European Societies

"This book is a must for a

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SKU: 86804285365

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Melissa Overton
Boise, US
★★★★★ 4
Super cute
Color: Gray, Size: 8 IN
Super cute in person. Didn’t last two weeks with our aggressive chewer but he sure had fun with it
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Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2026
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Bob
San Leandro, US
★★★★★ 5
We call him Armie! Dog loves it.
Color: Blue, Size: 14 IN
The dog loves it! Routinely carries it around squeaking all the way. The squeak is more like a quack and makes everyone giggle. It’s nice and big so a good match for our tall dog. Probably too big though for smaller dogs. Holding up well so far and that’s no mean feat given our pup’s destruction skills.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2026
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Verified Purchase
Trust Me!
Massapequa, US
★★★★★ 5
The chewability of this toy from 1-10 is a 10 all day 👍🏻
Color: Gray, Size: 8 IN
I have a Boston Terrier and he’s a serious extreme CHEWER! He loves this Hollypet Plush Dog Squeaky Toy Stuffed Armadillo! My doh gnaws on the tail, legs, the ears and the nose and all are still in tact. He’s had it for what I consider a long time. Usually he rips toys apart in the first day but this has been months! I throw this in the washing machine with his other stuffed animal toys simply because the ears, noses and tail get so stiff from chewing on them they need to be washed and they bounce right back just like new. Chewability from 1-10 is a 10 all day long! He plays with it a for a long while each time he uses it. Very active with his Armadillo and it’s so cute and the squeaker is just right, it’s not that loud screaming squeak. If he ever lost this or it got destroyed somehow? I’d buy him this all over again. Worth the money!
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Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2026
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Verified Purchase
James Brummett
Dallas, US
★★★★★ 4
Fun dog toy, but not for heavy chewers
Color: Pink, Size: 14 IN
The armadillo is cute. My pittie, Sasha, was very excited to see it. She just had TPLO surgery on her left knee (she tore her ACL just before the 4th of July), and I wanted to get her something she could play with while she convalesces, that isn't a ball—she really likes to run and jump and chase the ball, but with her knee out of commission, I didn't want her to get depressed being trapped in her crate while she heals—with this toy, she was able to keep playing and not over excert herself and get more hurt. It quickly became her favorite toy; she chews it relentlessly and gets made when I take it from her (see below). It makes a funky squeak that's not a high-pitched squeak, like I thought it would be; it's more a low-pitched, lowing sound like a baby calf. One thing I would like to point out to other purchasers about what the description says: "Durable and Long Lasting - Made from premium soft materials, our cute plush dog toys can withstand rough play for indoor or outdoor and last for years to come. The textured surface also helps massage and soothe your dog's gums during playtime" This is a little misleading. It's a good texture and Sasha loved to play with it, but it wasn't very durable. It might be when compared to other chew toys, but not for my baby. She tore the nose off within 20 minutes of getting it. The next morning, she ripped off an ear, and I had to pull the stuffing out of the face so she wouldn't eat it while chewing away. She doesn't seem to mind, but I sure wish it had held up a little more. All-in-all, this was a good toy for a few days.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2025
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Tracilee79
Massapequa, US
★★★★★ 5
I wish we had found this alot sooner!
Color: Purple
I love this cute slow feeder dog bowl! We have a pitbull/bulldog mix and have issues with her chowing down on her food like she hasn't eaten in months! I couldn't wait to try out this new slow feeder dog bowl and am happy to say that it tremendously works to help slow down her eating habits. The bowl includes a silicone spatula, which is useful because we use it to spread peanut butter around the edge of the bowl, and make sure to put it into the grooves and then put her food in, the peanut butter will help the food stick to it so your dog will have to spend more time licking it off which will then make them slow down eating because they'll have to work harder to get the food and peanut butter off their bowl. Our dog loves the bowl too. We don't have as much of an issue of her begging for food either because I will put a bit of peanut butter only (if it's not time for her food) in her bowl while we're eating and she will enjoy that instead of trying to display her cuteness to us in hopes we will cave and give up our food lol. I also love that this bowl has a strong suction cup on the bottom because otherwise, this bowl would be moving all over the place with her trying to get every last morsel out of it. The suction cup is actually pretty strong and stays put while she's eating. Overall, this is definately worth the price and is a solid choice for anyone looking for a wonderfully designed slow feeding dog bowl to help their dogs digestion by slowing down their eating.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2026

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