Democracy Books

Book SynopsisPolitical Theory and the Displacement of Politics, originally published in 1993, has been called a founding text of agonism, which treats political contestation not as a regrettably necessary way to correct political imperfections but as a necessary, sometimes joyful feature of democratic life. As Bonnie Honig writes in the preface to this thirtieth anniversary edition, the agonism that informs this book is democratic: it is committed to shared spaces and relational practices in which diverse groups and individuals set and reset the terms of living together as equals.By rethinking the established relation between politics and political theory, Honig argues that political theorists of opposing positions often treat political theory less as an exploration of politics than as a series of devices for its displacement. She characterizes Kant, Rawls, and Sandel as virtue theorists of politics, arguing that they rely on principles of right, rationality, communitTrade ReviewBonnie Honig concludes the introduction to this fine book by invoking the virago: the female warrior who will not be contained within categoriesthat oppose masculinity against femininity or human rationality against theforces of nature. It is a fitting emblem for a book that takes up and perturbs an opposition that functions variously to divide reason from violence, liberal humanism from poststructuralist skepticism, and feminine passivity from masculine bravado. This is the opposition between virtú and virtue, and Honig calibrates it against a new measure she terms the 'displacement of politics.'. (Praise for the 1st edition) * Political Theory *Honig's sharp genealogical sensibilities and insights, her development of a position of agonistic amendable authority, the questions which she raises and the soothing answers she refuses, come together in an excellent book that engages and provokes its readers in ways which exemplify political theory at its best, animated but not displaced by politics. (Praise for the 1st edition) * Journal of Politics *Thinkers as diverse as Plato, Aquinas, Hobbes, Locke, and Marx have relied,explicitly or implicitly, on the belief that there is some set of political and social arrangements most conducive to themaximization of human well-being and happiness. Bonnie Honig's illuminating and disquieting book provides an acute and much-needed analysis of some of the consequences and implications of this teleological assumption for contemporary political theory and, more generally, for the ways in which people tend to conceive of politics. Indeed, Honig argues that politics itself, at least insofar as it entails or expresses ultimately irreducible conflict, dissonance, resistance, and agonal struggle, has largely been displaced from or written out of political theory. (Praise for the 1st edition) * American Quarterly *

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Book SynopsisThe Picky Eagle explains why the United States stopped annexing territory by focusing on annexation''s domestic consequences, both political and normative. It describes how the US rejection of further annexations, despite its rising power, set the stage for twentieth-century efforts to outlaw conquest. In contrast to conventional accounts of a nineteenth-century shift from territorial expansion to commercial expansion, Richard W. Maass argues that US ambitions were selective from the start.By presenting twenty-three case studies, Maass examines the decision-making of US leaders facing opportunities to pursue annexation between 1775 and 1898. US presidents, secretaries, and congressmen consistently worried about how absorbing new territories would affect their domestic political influence and their goals for their country. These leaders were particularly sensitive to annexation''s domestic costs where xenophobia interacted with their commitment to democracy: rather thanTrade ReviewIn this timely, relevant and historically rich book, political scientist Richard Maass asks: Why did the United States stop annexing territory? His question implicitly recognizes what historians of US foreign relations have said for a very long time: rather than being 'isolationist', the United States expanded vigorously throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. * International Affairs *Maass has written a book that is theoretically ambitious and empirically expansive, and the historical and archival evidence he marshals is rich, impressive, and ultimately convincing. * Perspectives on Politics *Scholars have charted in meticulous detail the upstart nation's transformation from a motley conglomeration of former British colonies into a transcontinental empire with, after the colonialist outburst of 1898, global reach. Richard W. Maass's The Picky Eagle swims against this tide, focusing not on the conventional story of incremental expansion but instead on the many instances in which the United States left on the table opportunities to annex more territory. * Political Science Quarterly *Table of Contents1. The Limits of U.S. Territorial Expansion 2. Explaining Annexation 3. To the Continent: European Empires and U.S. Annexation 4. To the West: Native American Lands and U.S. Annexation 5. To the North: Canada and U.S. Annexation 6. To the South: Mexico and U.S. Annexation 7. To the Seas: Islands and U.S. Annexation 8. The International Implications of U.S. Annexation

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Book SynopsisPeople are increasingly unhappy with their governments in democracies around the world. In countries as diverse as India, Ecuador, and Uganda, governments are responding to frustrations by mandating greater citizen participation at the local and state level. Officials embrace participatory reforms, believing that citizen councils and committees lead to improved accountability and more informed communities. Yet there's been little research on the efficacy of these efforts to improve democracy, despite an explosion in their popularity since the mid-1980s. Democracy from Above? tests the hypothesis that top-down reforms strengthen democracies and evaluates the conditions that affect their success. Stephanie L. McNulty addresses the global context of participatory reforms in developing nations. She observes and interprets what happens after greater citizen involvement is mandated in seventeen countries, with close case studies of Guatemala, Bolivia, and Peru. The first cross-national comparison on this issue, Democracy from Above? explores whether the reforms effectively redress the persistent problems of discrimination, elite capture, clientelism, and corruption in the countries that adopt them. As officials and reformers around the world and at every level of government look to strengthen citizen involvement and confidence in the political process, McNulty provides a clear understanding of the possibilities and limitations of nationally mandated participatory reforms.Trade Review"Fed up with government, people around the world are electing outsiders who pledge to tear government down. Stephanie McNulty explores how national governments are attempting the difficult task of fixing democracy by promoting local democratic participation. Anyone who is frustrated with our democracy and eager to make it better should heed the book's lessons." -- Josh Lerner, Co-Executive Director * Participatory Budgeting Project *"Democracy from Above should be obligatory reading for scholars and practitioners of participatory democracy. Stephanie McNulty offers a welcome corrective to both naive enthusiasm and uncritical disenchantment with citizen engagement. Leveraging the very best of comparative designs alongside a wealth of empirical evidence, this book is a powerful exemplar of the new political science." -- Gianpaolo Baiocchi * New York University *

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Book SynopsisA look inside the weaponization of social media, and an innovative proposal for protecting Western democracies from information warfare. When Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram were first introduced to the public, their mission was simple: they were designed to help people become more connected to each other. Social media became a thriving digital space by giving its users the freedom to share whatever they wanted with their friends and followers. Unfortunately, these same digital tools are also easy to manipulate. As exemplified by Russia's interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, authoritarian states can exploit social media to interfere with democratic governance in open societies. Tyrants on Twitter is the first detailed analysis of how Chinese and Russian agents weaponize Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube to subvert the liberal international order. In addition to examining the 2016 U.S. election, David L. Sloss explores Russia's use of foreign influence operations to threaten democracies in Europe, as well as China's use of social media and other digital tools to meddle in Western democracies and buttress autocratic rulers around the world. Sloss calls for cooperation among democratic governments to create a new transnational system for regulating social media to protect Western democracies from information warfare. Drawing on his professional experience as an arms control negotiator, he outlines a novel system of transnational governance that Western democracies can enforce by harmonizing their domestic regulations. And drawing on his academic expertise in constitutional law, he explains why that system—if implemented by legislation in the United States—would be constitutionally defensible, despite likely First Amendment objections. With its critical examination of information warfare and its proposal for practical legislative solutions to fight back, this book is essential reading in a time when disinformation campaigns threaten to undermine democracy.Trade Review"Tyrants may have Twitter, but democracies have David Sloss. He has written a pathbreaking book that does more than just identify a troubling trend of modern elections. It also boldly proposes a transnational solution, including his innovative Alliance for Democracy. His contribution will endure long after the Age of Tyrants fades away."—Jens David Ohlin, Cornell Law School"This is a detailed and extremely informative analysis of the threat of Chinese and Russian information warfare, and the related export of digital authoritarianism. Sloss's technical approach to addressing external threats while balancing the protection of free speech, personal privacy, and data security will be an important reference and source of ideas for policymakers and analysts grappling with these critical issues."—Fiona Hill, Brookings Institution"It is no hyperbole to say that the future of democracy depends on dealing with the issues raised in this book. Sloss masterfully lays out the problem and goes on to propose a novel, workable solution. This book is sure to stimulate debate, and hopefully action as well."—Tom Ginsburg, The University of Chicago Law School"Sloss's book is a timely and original contribution that draws a comprehensive picture of foreign states' interference with democratic governance on social media. Not only does Sloss provide a thorough analysis of the phenomenon, he also offers substantial proposals for transnational legislation. A must-read for all interested in the challenges that the international liberal order currently faces."—Heike Krieger, Freie Universität Berlin"Based on [Sloss's] training in law and experience drafting treatises for the US government, the book is well researched and argued, particularly regarding the legal feasibility of taming Twitter as a hotspot for foreign bad actors.... Highly recommended."—M. S. Gorham, CHOICE"Tyrants on Twitter offers an informative look into the IW landscape of today and a potential path toward reinforcing safeguards against foreign media manipulation from outside aggressors and rivals through transnational legislative efforts."—Joshua Nieubuurt, H-Sci-Med-TechTable of Contents2. Russian Information Warfare and U.S. Elections 3. Russian Influence Operations in Europe 4. China's Global Information Operations 5. An Uneven Playing Field 6. A Proposal for Transnational Regulation 7. Policy Analysis: Weighing Costs and Benefits 8. The First Amendment

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Book SynopsisDemocracy has become disentangled from our ordinary lives. Mere cooperation or ethical consumption now often stands in for a robust concept of solidarity that structures the entirety of sociality and forms the basis of democratic culture. How did democracy become something that is done only at ballot boxes and what role can solidarity play in reviving it? In Solidarity in Conflict, Rochelle DuFord presents a theory of solidarity fit for developing democratic life and a complementary theory of democracy that emerges from a society typified by solidarity. DuFord argues that solidarity is best understood as a set of relations, one agonistic and one antagonistic: the solidarity groups' internal organization and its interactions with the broader world. Such a picture of solidarity develops through careful consideration of the conflicts endemic to social relations and solidarity organizations. Examining men's rights groups, labor organizing's role in recognitional protections for LGBTQ members of society, and the debate over trans inclusion in feminist praxis, DuFord explores how conflict, in these contexts, becomes the locus of solidarity's democratic functions and thereby critiques democratic theorizing for having become either overly idealized or overly focused on building and maintaining stability. Working in the tradition of the Frankfurt School, DuFord makes a provocative case that the conflict generated by solidarity organizations can address a variety of forms of domination, oppression, and exploitation while building a democratic society.Trade Review"A rich, nuanced, and compelling approach to an important and timely topic. DuFord's insightful, well-developed, and original account of solidarity makes a distinctive contribution to critical social theory and to progressive political theory more broadly."—Amy Allen, author of Critique on the Couch"This outstanding book offers an original approach to an issue in social and political theory that is at once perennial and highly topical: solidarity. DuFord tackles topics classical and current judiciously and insightfully."—James Ingram, author of Radical Cosmopolitics"Clear and enjoyable to read, DuFord's book works through the steps and arguments about the purpose of solidarity in democratic theory and its place in the present moment...Solidarity in Conflict is a meaningful contribution in agonistic theories of democracy, how to think about the goals of solidary groups, and why the present prominence of authoritarianism should further attempts at building a nonexclusive vision of politics."—Michael Villanova, Contemporary Political Theory"DuFord offers a timely inquiry into democratic theory, arguing that the role of solidarity in democratic theory has been misunderstood.... Recommended."—A. R. Brunello, CHOICE"The value of the book is... as an invitation to think about how leftist organizing against neoliberal heteropatriarchal capitalism may be productive through conflict and how organizers can build networks. Seeing such networking, as well as the continual navigation of conflict within organizations, suggests, according to DuFord, that workers' associations might be the site for rebuilding the society upon which democracy ought to rest."—Sally J. Scholz, The Review of Politics"For anyone who has ever been part of an organizing meeting that fell apart due to internal tensions, this book is a refreshing reminder that those of us looking for more robust forms of solidarity should expect, and perhaps even embrace, disagreement as a lively part of democratic practice."—Benjamin P. Davis, Public BooksTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Solidarity in Neoliberal Times 2. Two Models of Nonexclusion: Solidarity in Feminist and Democratic Theory 3. Antisocial Solidarities: The Psychic Life of Domination 4. Burdened Action: The Social Formation of Solidarity 5. A More Perfect Union: The Ends of Conflict Conclusion: Solidarity Today

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Book SynopsisFrom its inception as a public communication network, the Internet was regarded by many people as a potential means of escaping from the stranglehold of top-down, stage-managed politics. If hundreds of millions of people could be the producers as well as receivers of political messages, could that invigorate democracy? If political elites fail to respond to such energy, where will it leave them? In this short book, internationally renowned scholar of political communication, Stephen Coleman, argues that the best way to strengthen democracy is to re-invent it for the twenty-first century. Governments and global institutions have failed to seize the opportunity to democratise their ways of operating, but online citizens are ahead of them, developing practices that could revolutionise the exercise of political power.Trade Review"This is a really outstanding book; Coleman's ideas, as always, are compelling and clear, and presented in a way that grips the reader. This will be the most authoritative and up-to-date text on the topic."—Peter Dahlgren, Lund University "Democracy is old and it is about compromise, not about getting one's way. Technologies are new, and they attain popularity as they promise ultimate, personalized experiences. Rather than being put to use to reinvent democracy, much new technology has been retrofitted to serve dated civic practices. Coleman's Can the Internet Strengthen Democracy? brilliantly recognizes this and asks why a new democratic future has not been presented for citizens yet. This book helps us imagine what the future might look like if technology were used to turn the flaws of democracy into strengths and produce a democratic system of governance built for the future. It is bold, it is engaging, and it is like nothing you have read before."—Zizi Papacharissi, University of Illinois, Chicago "Since the early days of the web Stephen Coleman has been at the forefront of research into Internet and democracy, and has had a steady hand in pinpointing the difference between promotional rhetoric and experiments that yield dividends. His latest edition is no exception."—Richard Rogers, University of Amsterdam "With prominent examples, a well-rounded, comprehensive and inclusive theoretical background that draws on a variety of academic works (his 'Further Reading' chapter is certainly of great value), Coleman's book confronts diachronic issues related to Internet, and its (undeniable) impact on democracy. The book moves the academic debate further, by not only delineating the current situation and spotting the wrongdoings, but by providing viable and realistic solutions, and by offering a well-supported response to the question of whether the Internet can strengthen democracy – a question much more complicated than it may initially seem."—Information, Communication & Society "Can the Internet Strengthen Democracy? provides a comprehensive and profound analysis for us to understand political democracy and the Internet."—Global Media & CommunicationTable of Contents1. The great missed opportunity 2. Political Hopes and Fears 3. Democratic limbo 4. Populism or Democracy? Further Reading Notes

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Book SynopsisFrom its inception as a public communication network, the Internet was regarded by many people as a potential means of escaping from the stranglehold of top-down, stage-managed politics. If hundreds of millions of people could be the producers as well as receivers of political messages, could that invigorate democracy? If political elites fail to respond to such energy, where will it leave them? In this short book, internationally renowned scholar of political communication, Stephen Coleman, argues that the best way to strengthen democracy is to re-invent it for the twenty-first century. Governments and global institutions have failed to seize the opportunity to democratise their ways of operating, but online citizens are ahead of them, developing practices that could revolutionise the exercise of political power.Trade Review"This is a really outstanding book; Coleman's ideas, as always, are compelling and clear, and presented in a way that grips the reader. This will be the most authoritative and up-to-date text on the topic."—Peter Dahlgren, Lund University "Democracy is old and it is about compromise, not about getting one's way. Technologies are new, and they attain popularity as they promise ultimate, personalized experiences. Rather than being put to use to reinvent democracy, much new technology has been retrofitted to serve dated civic practices. Coleman's Can the Internet Strengthen Democracy? brilliantly recognizes this and asks why a new democratic future has not been presented for citizens yet. This book helps us imagine what the future might look like if technology were used to turn the flaws of democracy into strengths and produce a democratic system of governance built for the future. It is bold, it is engaging, and it is like nothing you have read before."—Zizi Papacharissi, University of Illinois, Chicago "Since the early days of the web Stephen Coleman has been at the forefront of research into Internet and democracy, and has had a steady hand in pinpointing the difference between promotional rhetoric and experiments that yield dividends. His latest edition is no exception."—Richard Rogers, University of Amsterdam "With prominent examples, a well-rounded, comprehensive and inclusive theoretical background that draws on a variety of academic works (his 'Further Reading' chapter is certainly of great value), Coleman's book confronts diachronic issues related to Internet, and its (undeniable) impact on democracy. The book moves the academic debate further, by not only delineating the current situation and spotting the wrongdoings, but by providing viable and realistic solutions, and by offering a well-supported response to the question of whether the Internet can strengthen democracy – a question much more complicated than it may initially seem."—Information, Communication & Society "Can the Internet Strengthen Democracy? provides a comprehensive and profound analysis for us to understand political democracy and the Internet."—Global Media & CommunicationTable of ContentsContents 1. The great missed opportunity 2. Political Hopes and Fears 3. Democratic limbo 4. Populism or Democracy? Further Reading Notes

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Book SynopsisThe election of Donald Trump and the Brexit vote in the UK have caused fear and panic among liberals worldwide. They argue that the populist backlash represents a dangerous new authoritarianism. But what if the really dangerous authoritarianism is in fact their own? In this provocative and highly original book, Salvatore Babones argues that democracy has been undermined by a quiet but devastating power grab conducted by a class of liberal experts. They have advanced a global rights-based agenda which has tilted the balance away from the lively and vibrant unpredictability of democratic decision-making toward the creeping technocratic authority of liberal consensus. Populism represents, contends Babones, an imperfect but reinvigorating political flood that has the potential to sweep away decades of institutional detritus and rejuvenate democracy across the West. Babones’ bracing attack on the insidious “new authoritarianism” of the expert class and call for an end to liberal mission creep will stimulate and challenge all readers trying to make sense of the political tumult of the recent past.Trade ReviewNamed one of 2018's Best Books on Politics by the Wall Street Journal"Babones’ relentless critique of the liberal expert class brilliantly exposes their contempt for ordinary people. A crucial contribution to our understanding of how contemporary liberalism is increasingly illiberal and undemocratic."Adrian Pabst, co-author of The Politics of Virtue: Post-liberalism and the Human Future"An overdue and rational corrective about populism and authoritarianism."The Australian"Brilliantly insightful and always fair-minded, The New Authoritarianism is a compelling insider’s account of how the liberal-minded became close-minded."Quadrant "This is a superb book. Anyone interested in politics must read it; it is one of those rare tracts which is constantly rewarding."Spectator Australia

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Book SynopsisShould Brexit or Trump cause us to doubt our faith in democracy? Are ‘the people’ too ignorant or stupid to rule? Numerous commentators are seriously arguing that the answer to these questions might be ‘yes’. In this take-no-prisoners book, Canadian-Irish author Roslyn Fuller kicks these anti-democrats where it hurts the most – the facts. Fuller shows how many academics, journalists and politicians have embraced the idea that there can be ‘too much democracy’, and deftly unravels their attempts to end majority rule, whether through limiting the franchise, pursuing Chinese ‘meritocracy’ or confining participation to random legislation panels. She shows that Trump, Brexit or whatever other political event you may have disapproved of recently aren’t doing half the damage to democracy that elite self-righteousness and corruption are. In fact, argues Fuller, there are real reasons to be optimistic. Ancient methods can be combined with modern technology to revitalize democracy and allow the people to truly rule. In Defence of Democracy is a witty and energetic contribution to the debate on the future of democracy.Trade Review‘In an era when, remarkably, the merits of democracy seem to be up for debate, it is invaluable to have so many of the arguments of the anti-democrats dispelled so comprehensively. If you've ever felt like you needed the arguments to defend the ability of the people to govern themselves, you’ll find what you need here.’Robin McAlpine, Director of Common Weal ‘In Defence of Democracy offers us a preview of what democracy is about to become: much more representative, more direct, more digital, more local and transnational. A winning concept described by this winning writer. Get it! Read it!’Bruno Kaufmann, Democracy International"a valuable guide"Los Angeles Review of BooksTable of ContentsIntroduction: Why This? Why Me? Why Now? Part One: The Terrible Truth: People Aren’t All That Stupid or Evil Objection One: Democracy Can’t Work Because People are Too Racist and Sexist Objection Two: People are Too Stupid for Democracy Objection Three: There’s No Point to Democracy Because People Don’t Know What Is Good For Them Anyway Objection Four: People are Just Too Crazy for Democracy to Work To Conclude Part Two: Fixing Politics the Anti-Democrat Way Section I Assorted Libertarian, Authoritarian and Explicitly Elitist Solutions Rule by the ‘Knowledgeable’ (Jason Brennan) Rule by the Deep State (Bryan Caplan) Rule by the Market (Ilya Somin) Long Live the Party! (Jonathan Rauch and Benjamin Wittes) Rule of the Superior (Daniel Bell) Section II Sortition: The False Democrats Participation Representation and Legitimacy Politics is Conflict Mediation Corruption Conclusions On Sortition Conclusions to Part Two Part Three: A World You Might Want to Actually Live In (Fuller Democracy) Five Principles for Transformational (but Responsible…) People Power 1. Shift to Online and En Masse 2. Pay-for-Participation 3. Focused, Outcome-Oriented Deliberation (Information, Isegoria and Conflict Resolution) 4. Precarious, Informal Leadership (but Leadership all the Same) 5. Sortition in its Proper Place Why It’s Worth It 1. People want Democracy 2. Fuller Democracy Solves a lot of Anti-Democrat Objections to Democracy 3. Writing a New Social Contract Final Words: Buckle-up Buttercup – The Future is Going to be Interesting

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Book SynopsisDemocracies today are in the grip of a myth: the myth of the will of the people. Populist movements use the idea to challenge elected representatives. Politicians, content to invoke the will of the people, fail in their duty to make responsible and accountable decisions. And public contest over political choices is stifled by fears that opposing the will of the people will be perceived as elitist. In this book Albert Weale dissects the idea of the will of the people, showing that it relies on a mythical view of participatory democracy. As soon as a choice between more than two simple alternatives is involved, there is often no clear answer to the question of what a majority favours. Moreover, because governments have to interpret the results of referendums, the will of the people becomes a means for strengthening executive control – the exact opposite of what appealing to the people’s will seemed to imply. Weale argues that it’s time to dispense with the myth of the will of the people. A flourishing democracy requires an open society in which choices can be challenged, parliaments strengthened and populist leaders called to account.Trade Review"An accessible and incisive critique of populism and referenda by a true democrat. The Will of the People is a magisterial contribution of academic political theory to our troubled and confused public debate. Essential reading."—Cécile Laborde, University of Oxford "In this lucid and engaging essay, Albert Weale enlists insights of modern political analysis to enlighten public debate. He cogently shows that the manipulative ideal of a singular 'will of the people' is both fallacious and antithetical to fundamental values of democratic politics."—Jack Nagel, University of PennsylvaniaTable of Contents Table of Contents Acknowledgements Preface Chapter 1 In the Grip of a Myth Chapter 2 Nostalgic Myths Chapter 3 What is a People? Chapter 4 Majority Willing? Chapter 5 The Mythical Sovereign Chapter 6 On Being Outnumbered Chapter 7 Democracy without Myth Chapter 8 The Ethics of Responsibility Notes

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Book SynopsisComing to terms with a new period of uncertainty when it is still replete with possibilities This quick and engaging study clearly lays out the United States’ current democratic crisis. Examining the early stages of the Nazi movement in Germany, William E. Connolly detects synergies with Donald Trump’s rhetorical style. Tapping into a sense of contemporary fragility, Aspirational Fascism pays particular attention to how conflicts between neoliberalism and the pluralizing left have placed the white working class in a bind. Ultimately, Connolly believes a multifaceted democracy constitutes the best antidote to aspirational fascism and rethinks what a politics of the left might look like today. Forerunners is a thought-in-process series of breakthrough digital works. Written between fresh ideas and finished books, Forerunners draws on scholarly work initiated in notable blogs, social media, conference plenaries, journal articles, and the synergy of academic exchange. This is gray literature publishing: where intense thinking, change, and speculation take place in scholarship.

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Book SynopsisTracing the erosion of democratic norms in the US and the conditions that make it possible Jonathan Beecher Field tracks the permutations of the town hall meeting from its original context as a form of democratic community governance in New England into a format for presidential debates and a staple of corporate governance. In its contemporary iteration, the town hall meeting models the aesthetic of the former but replaces actual democratic deliberation with a spectacle that involves no immediate electoral stakes or functions as a glorified press conference. Urgently, Field notes that though this evolution might be apparent, evidence suggests many US citizens don’t care to differentiate. Forerunners: Ideas First Short books of thought-in-process scholarship, where intense analysis, questioning, and speculation take the lead Trade Review"In clear, sometimes acerbic, even humorous prose, Field adeptly accounts for the metamorphosis of town meetings into town halls."—ALH Online Review

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Book SynopsisThis book brings together leading figures in democratic reform and civic engagement to show why and how better state-citizen cooperation is needed to improve democracy and public service. It explains why the problem of civic disengagement poses a major threat and shows how obstacles to democratic cooperation between citizens and state institutions can be overcome.Trade Review"...a substantial, go-to text for those who are studying or are interested in political science. It is a complex book, full of facts, analysis and case studies... And while the whole premise of the book may appear to be a somewhat idealistic form of democracy, with plenty of examples and case studies of how cooperation between state and citizen has been highly beneficial, it serves to demonstrate that such a goal can be achieved." Shout Out UK * Shout Out UK, 19th March 2019 *“At a time of rising authoritarianism and shrinking public spheres, it is instructive and inspiring to read a whole compendium of essays by scholars, practitioners and policymakers who are committed to cooperation between state and citizens. Whose Government Is It? is packed with insights for citizens and officials alike.” Peter Levine, Tufts UniversityTable of ContentsIntroduction Government with the People ~ Henry Tam Part One: Why We Need State-Citizen Cooperation Realism and Democratic Renewal ~ Nick Pearce The Importance of Collective Control ~ Anna Coote Deliberative Engagement with Complex Policies ~ Simon Burall The Road to Empowerment ~ Hazel Blears and David Blunkett Part Two: What Is Required for Effective Engagement Lessons From Democratic Innovations ~ Graham Smith The Potential of Community Development ~ Marilyn Taylor Community Action and Civic Dialogue ~ Barry Quirk Old Age and Caring Democracy ~ Marian Barnes Young People and Everyday Democracy ~ James Sloam Part Three: How To Expand Our Civic Capability Improving Citizenship Education ~ James Weinberg and Matthew Flinders Rethinking Civic Roles ~ Jane Roberts Promoting the ‘Take Part’ Approach ~ Marjorie Mayo, Zoraida Mendiwelso-Bendek and Carol Packham Developing Public-Cooperative Partnerships ~ Pat Conaty Conclusion The Renewal of State-Citizen Cooperation ~ Henry Tam

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Book SynopsisA distinctive and original analysis of how the politics of the UK and the lives of British citizens have evolved in the first decades of the twenty-first century, this book provides an interdisciplinary critical examination of the roots, ideology and consequences of austerity politics, the Brexit vote and the rise of populist politics in Britain. Bringing together case studies and perspectives from an array of international researchers across the social sciences, it dissects the ways that the UK has become increasingly contested with profound differences of geography, generation, gender, ‘race’ and class, and considers agency as a key concept to understand the links between austerity and Brexit.Trade Review"A timely and important contribution to our understanding of the complex entanglements between Brexit, austerity and politics in contemporary Britain. It contextualises these issues in relation to ongoing contestations around the UK itself, drawing on a wide-range of perspectives.” Gerry Mooney, The Open University in ScotlandTable of ContentsIntroduction ~ Marius Guderjan, Hugh Mackay and Gesa Stedman; Part I: The Politics and Culture of Austerity: Impacts and Resistance; The Contracting State: Austerity and Public Services ~ Simon Griffiths; Breaking Britain's Working Class: the Left Out ~ Lisa Mckenzie; Political Activism and Agency under Austerity and Brexit ~ Tom Montgomery and Maria Grasso; Culture Matters: Cuts and Resistance ~ Ingrid von Rosenberg; Agents and Agency in the Face of Austerity and Brexit Uncertainty: the Case of Legal Aid ~ Steven Truxal; Part II: The Politcs and Discourse of Brexit; The Economy of Brexit: Performance, Interests and Agency ~ Carlo Morelli; Brexit Populism: Disenfranchisement and Agency ~ Marius Guderjan and Adrian Wilding; A Sovereign People? Political Fantasy and Governmental TIme in the Pursuit of Brexit ~ John Clarke; 'Not an International Health Service': Xenophobia, Brexit and the Restoration of National Sovereignty ~ Kirsten Forkert; 'Uni-Culti' Myths and Liberal Dreams: Brexit and Austerity from the Perspective of Migrants ~ Magdalena Nowicka; Part III: Austerity and Brexit in a Divided Union; From Brexit to the Break-Up of ... England? Thinking in and Beyond the Nation ~ Allan Cochrane; Understanding Brexit in Wales: Austerity, Elites and National Identity ~ Hugh Mackay; Scotland, Brexit and the Broken Promise of Democracy ~ Klaus Stolz; Brexit, Devolution and Northern Ireland's Political Parties: Differential Solutions, Special Status or Special Arrangements? ~ Derek Birrell and Paul Carmichael; More Than the Border? Looking at Brexit through Irish Eyes ~ Kevin Bean; Conclusion ~ Marius Guderjan, Hugh Mackay and Gesa Stedman;

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Book SynopsisA distinctive and original analysis of how the politics of the UK and the lives of British citizens have evolved in the first decades of the twenty-first century, this book provides an interdisciplinary critical examination of the roots, ideology and consequences of austerity politics, the Brexit vote and the rise of populist politics in Britain. Bringing together case studies and perspectives from an array of international researchers across the social sciences, it dissects the ways that the UK has become increasingly contested with profound differences of geography, generation, gender, ‘race’ and class, and considers agency as a key concept to understand the links between austerity and Brexit.Trade Review"A timely and important contribution to our understanding of the complex entanglements between Brexit, austerity and politics in contemporary Britain. It contextualises these issues in relation to ongoing contestations around the UK itself, drawing on a wide-range of perspectives.” Gerry Mooney, The Open University in ScotlandTable of ContentsIntroduction ~ Marius Guderjan, Hugh Mackay and Gesa Stedman; Part I: The Politics and Culture of Austerity: Impacts and Resistance; The Contracting State: Austerity and Public Services ~ Simon Griffiths; Breaking Britain's Working Class: the Left Out ~ Lisa Mckenzie; Political Activism and Agency under Austerity and Brexit ~ Tom Montgomery and Maria Grasso; Culture Matters: Cuts and Resistance ~ Ingrid von Rosenberg; Agents and Agency in the Face of Austerity and Brexit Uncertainty: the Case of Legal Aid ~ Steven Truxal; Part II: The Politcs and Discourse of Brexit; The Economy of Brexit: Performance, Interests and Agency ~ Carlo Morelli; Brexit Populism: Disenfranchisement and Agency ~ Marius Guderjan and Adrian Wilding; A Sovereign People? Political Fantasy and Governmental TIme in the Pursuit of Brexit ~ John Clarke; 'Not an International Health Service': Xenophobia, Brexit and the Restoration of National Sovereignty ~ Kirsten Forkert; 'Uni-Culti' Myths and Liberal Dreams: Brexit and Austerity from the Perspective of Migrants ~ Magdalena Nowicka; Part III: Austerity and Brexit in a Divided Union; From Brexit to the Break-Up of ... England? Thinking in and Beyond the Nation ~ Allan Cochrane; Understanding Brexit in Wales: Austerity, Elites and National Identity ~ Hugh Mackay; Scotland, Brexit and the Broken Promise of Democracy ~ Klaus Stolz; Brexit, Devolution and Northern Ireland's Political Parties: Differential Solutions, Special Status or Special Arrangements? ~ Derek Birrell and Paul Carmichael; More Than the Border? Looking at Brexit through Irish Eyes ~ Kevin Bean; Conclusion ~ Marius Guderjan, Hugh Mackay and Gesa Stedman;

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Book SynopsisUsing new research on higher education in the UK, Canada, Chile and Italy, this rigorous comparative study investigates key episodes of student protests against neoliberal policies and practices in today’s universities. As well as examining origins and outcomes of higher education reforms, the authors set these waves of demonstrations in the wider contexts of student movements, political activism and social issues, including inequality and civil rights. Offering sophisticated new theoretical arguments based on fascinating empirical work, the insights and conclusions revealed in this original study are of value to anyone with an interest in social, political and related studies.Table of ContentsThe Contentious Politics of Higher Education Student Campaigns Higher Education Policies Student Politics The Outcomes of Student Protest Conclusions

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Book SynopsisExploring unique survey and interview data on the personality characteristics of British politicians, this book provides a timely psychological analysis of those individuals who pursue political careers and how they represent their constituents once elected. Focusing specifically on the Basic Human Values of more than 150 MPs as well as hundreds of local councillors, Weinberg offers original insights into three compelling questions: Who enters politics and how are they different to the general public? Do politicians’ personality characteristics matter for their legislative behaviour? Do voters really get the ‘wrong’ politicians? Taking a fresh psychological approach to issues that are predominant in political science, this book casts new light on the human side of representative democracy.Table of ContentsWhy Do We Hate Politicians? Psychological Scrutiny: Who Enters Politics and Why? All the Same! Demographic Homogeneity and Careerism Basic Values and Partisanship Parliamentary Behaviour: Personal Choices, Political Results Perfect Politicians? Voting Preferences in the United Kingdom

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Book SynopsisMatt Ryan’s landmark comparative review of participatory budgeting, or collective decisions on how public money is spent, reveals the factors behind its success in achieving democratic engagement. The culmination of ten years of research into participation, this is a systematic analysis of how, when and why citizens gain control over these important decisions. Comparing global examples of both positive change and notable failure, the book provides persuasive evidence and guidance for future public involvement in taxation and spending. For advocates and participants of democratic reform and those with interests across political science, this is an essential guide to one of the most significant democratic innovations of our times.Table of ContentsPart I 1. Understanding Participation as a Response to Democratic Deficits 2. Participatory Budgeting: How Do We Understand Exceptional Democracy? 3. From Exceptions to Cases of a Participatory Budgeting Phenomenon Part II 4. Comparing Participation Using Qualitative Comparative Analysis 5. What Participatory Democrats Expect Part III 6. Necessary Conditions for Democratic Reform 7. Success: How Citizen Control of Politics is Achieved 8. How Citizen Control of Politics is Negated, and the Puzzles that Remain 9. Conclusion: Democratic Innovations after the Beginning

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Book SynopsisWhy do democracies fall apart, and what can be done about it? This book introduces students to the concept and causes of democratic decay in the modern world. Illustrating the integral link between public commitment to democratic norms and the maintenance of healthy democracies, it examines the key factors in decaying democracies, including: • Economic inequality; • Corruption; • Populist and authoritarian discourse; • Declining belief in political institutions and processes. Drawing on real-world developments, and including international case studies, the book outlines the extent to which there is a ‘democratic recession’ in contemporary politics and shows how transnational networks and technology are impacting on this development.Table of ContentsThe Current Landscape Chapter 1: An Era of Autocratization? Are We Experiencing an Era of Democratic Backsliding? Chapter 2: Entering the Grey Zone Public Opinion and Norms Chapter 3: Measuring and Defining Public Support for Democracy and Autocracy Chapter 4: What Shapes Public Support for Autocratization? Political Culture, Education, Religion, Personality and Authoritarian Legacies Chapter 5: International and Informational Sources of Authoritarian Norms Causes and Context Chapter 6: Globalization Chapter 7: Corruption Chapter 8: Authoritarian Populism Symptoms and Processes Chapter 9: Assaults on the Media and Civil Society Chapter 10: Assaults on Institutions Chapter 11: Assaults on Electoral Processes Chapter 12: Protests and Reform Conclusion

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Book SynopsisWhy do democracies fall apart, and what can be done about it? This book introduces students to the concept and causes of democratic decay in the modern world. Illustrating the integral link between public commitment to democratic norms and the maintenance of healthy democracies, it examines the key factors in decaying democracies, including: • Economic inequality; • Corruption; • Populist and authoritarian discourse; • Declining belief in political institutions and processes. Drawing on real-world developments, and including international case studies, the book outlines the extent to which there is a ‘democratic recession’ in contemporary politics and shows how transnational networks and technology are impacting on this development.Table of ContentsThe Current Landscape Chapter 1: An Era of Autocratization? Are We Experiencing an Era of Democratic Backsliding? Chapter 2: Entering the Grey Zone Public Opinion and Norms Chapter 3: Measuring and Defining Public Support for Democracy and Autocracy Chapter 4: What Shapes Public Support for Autocratization? Political Culture, Education, Religion, Personality and Authoritarian Legacies Chapter 5: International and Informational Sources of Authoritarian Norms Causes and Context Chapter 6: Globalization Chapter 7: Corruption Chapter 8: Authoritarian Populism Symptoms and Processes Chapter 9: Assaults on the Media and Civil Society Chapter 10: Assaults on Institutions Chapter 11: Assaults on Electoral Processes Chapter 12: Protests and Reform Conclusion

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Book SynopsisEPUB and EPDF available Open Access under CC-BY-NC-ND licence. The COVID-19 pandemic has deeply shaken societies and lives around the world. This powerful book reveals how the pandemic has intensified socio-economic problems and inequalities across the world whilst offering visions for a better future informed by social movements and public sociology. Bringing together experts from 27 countries, the authors explore the global echoes of the pandemic and the different responses adopted by governments, policy makers and activists. The new expressions of social action, and forms of solidarity and protest, are discussed in detail, from the Black Lives Matter protests to the French Strike Movement and the Lebanese Uprising. This is a unique global analysis on the current crisis and the contemporary world and its outcomes.Table of ContentsIntroduction - Breno Bringel & Geoffrey Pleyers Part 1: COVID-19 Governance, Politics and the Ambivalence of States Chapter 1. Corona Governance: State Expansion, Capitalist Resilience, and Democracy - Pauli Huotari and Teivo Teivainen Chapter 2. Three Political Regimes, Three Responses to the Coronavirus Crisis - Jean De Munck Chapter 3. Universal Social Protection Floors: a Joint Responsibility - Michelle Bachelet, Olivier de Schutter and Guy Ryder Chapter 4. From Government's Policies to Labour Activism in Indonesia - Michelle Ford Chapter 5. Harmoniously Denied: China's Censorship on COVID-19 - Joy Y. Zhang Chapter 6. State Repression in the Philippines During COVID-19 and Beyond - Leanne Sajor Chapter 7. Normality Was the Problem - Ilan Bizberg Part 2: Crisis, Inequalities and Solidarities Chapter 8. Divided We Stand: What the Pandemic Tell us About Contemporary U.S. - Bandana Purkayastha Chapter 9. The Data Gaps of the Pandemic: Data Poverty and Forms of Invisibility - Stefania Milan and Emiliano Trere Chapter 10. Necropolitics and Biopower in the Pandemic: Death, Social Control or Well-being - Montserrat Sagot Chapter 11. COVID-19 in the Urban Peripheries: Perspectives from the Favelas of Rio de Janeiro - FASE Team Rio de Janeiro Chapter 12. Generational Inequalities in Argentina's Working-class Neighbourhoods - Pablo Vommaro Chapter 13. Pandemic Pedagogical Lessons and Educational Inequalities - Nicolas Arata Chapter 14. Social Work with Homeless People in Belgium - Stephanie Cassilde Chapter 15. Community Spaces in India: Constructing Solidarity During the Pandemic? - Supurna Bannerjee Part 3: Social Movements, Mutual Aid and Self-Reliance in a Global Pandemic Chapter 16. Social Movements in the Emergence of a Global Pandemic - Donatella della Porta Chapter 17. COVID-19 and the Re-configuration of the Social Movements Landscape - Sabrina Zajak Chapter 18. Social Movements as Essential Services in Toronto - Lesley Wood Chapter 19. Creating a Hyperlocal Infrastructure of Care: COVID-19 Mutual Aid Groups in the UK - Anastasia Kavada Chapter 20. 'Solidarity, Not Charity': Emotions as Cultural Challenge of Grassroots Activism - Tommaso Gravante and Alice Poma Chapter 21. Self-reliance as an Answer to the Pandemic: hopes from India's margins - Ashish Kothari Chapter 22. Social Movements and Self-reliance: Community Mobilisation in South Africa - Kate Alexander Chapter 23. Resilience, Reworking, and Resistance in New York City - John Krinsky and Hillary Caldwell Part 4: "The COVID Will Not Kill the Revolution": Protest Movements in the Pandemic Chapter 24. "Defund the Police:" Strategy and Struggle for Racial Justice in the U.S. - Nara Roberta Silva Chapter 25. A Matter of Survival: The Lebanese Uprising in Times of Pandemic - Alexandra Kassir Chapter 26. Hong Kong: From Democratic Protests to Medical Workers' Strike in a Pandemic - Chris Chan and Ana Tsui Chapter 27. Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia: a Return to Authoritarianism After the Revolutions? - Kamal Lahbib Chapter 28. The French Strike Movement: Keeping up the Struggle in Times of Covid-19 - Clement Petitjean Part 5: Critical Thinking and Emerging Theoretical Challenges Chapter 29. Coronavirus, Risk and Social Change - Jose Mauricio Domingues Chapter 30. Challenges to Critical Thinking: Social Life and the Pandemic - Kathya Araujo Chapter 31. A Sociology for a Post-COVID-19 Society - Sari Hanafi Chapter 32. The Paradox of Disturbance: Africa and the Coronavirus - Elisio Macamo Chapter 33. We Are All mortal: From the Empty Signifier to the Open Nature of History - Rita Laura Segato Chapter 34. The COVID-19 Pandemic and the Crisis of Care - Karina Batthyany Part VI. Post-Pandemic Transitions and Futures in Contention Chapter 35. Global Chaos and the New Geopolitics of Power and of Resistances - Breno Bringel Chapter 36. Denialism, 'Gattopardism' and Transitionism - Boaventura de Sousa Santos Chapter 37. Coronavirus, the Gift and Post-neoliberal Scenarios - Paulo Henrique Martins Chapter 38. Post-Pandemic Transitions in a Civilizational Perspective - Arturo Escobar Chapter 39. The World That is Coming: Pandemic, Movements and Change - Geoffrey Pleyers

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Book SynopsisEPUB and EPDF available Open Access under CC-BY-NC-ND licence. The COVID-19 pandemic has deeply shaken societies and lives around the world. This powerful book reveals how the pandemic has intensified socio-economic problems and inequalities across the world whilst offering visions for a better future informed by social movements and public sociology. Bringing together experts from 27 countries, the authors explore the global echoes of the pandemic and the different responses adopted by governments, policy makers and activists. The new expressions of social action, and forms of solidarity and protest, are discussed in detail, from the Black Lives Matter protests to the French Strike Movement and the Lebanese Uprising. This is a unique global analysis on the current crisis and the contemporary world and its outcomes.Table of ContentsIntroduction - Breno Bringel & Geoffrey Pleyers Part 1: COVID-19 Governance, Politics and the Ambivalence of States Chapter 1. Corona Governance: State Expansion, Capitalist Resilience, and Democracy - Pauli Huotari and Teivo Teivainen Chapter 2. Three Political Regimes, Three Responses to the Coronavirus Crisis - Jean De Munck Chapter 3. Universal Social Protection Floors: a Joint Responsibility - Michelle Bachelet, Olivier de Schutter and Guy Ryder Chapter 4. From Government’s Policies to Labour Activism in Indonesia - Michelle Ford Chapter 5. Harmoniously Denied: China’s Censorship on COVID-19 - Joy Y. Zhang Chapter 6. State Repression in the Philippines During COVID-19 and Beyond - Leanne Sajor Chapter 7. Normality Was the Problem - Ilan Bizberg Part 2: Crisis, Inequalities and Solidarities Chapter 8. Divided We Stand: What the Pandemic Tell us About Contemporary U.S. - Bandana Purkayastha Chapter 9. The Data Gaps of the Pandemic: Data Poverty and Forms of Invisibility - Stefania Milan and Emiliano Treré Chapter 10. Necropolitics and Biopower in the Pandemic: Death, Social Control or Well-being - Montserrat Sagot Chapter 11. COVID-19 in the Urban Peripheries: Perspectives from the Favelas of Rio de Janeiro - FASE Team Rio de Janeiro Chapter 12. Generational Inequalities in Argentina’s Working-class Neighbourhoods - Pablo Vommaro Chapter 13. Pandemic Pedagogical Lessons and Educational Inequalities - Nicolás Arata Chapter 14. Social Work with Homeless People in Belgium - Stéphanie Cassilde Chapter 15. Community Spaces in India: Constructing Solidarity During the Pandemic? - Supurna Bannerjee Part 3: Social Movements, Mutual Aid and Self-Reliance in a Global Pandemic Chapter 16. Social Movements in the Emergence of a Global Pandemic - Donatella della Porta Chapter 17. COVID-19 and the Re-configuration of the Social Movements Landscape - Sabrina Zajak Chapter 18. Social Movements as Essential Services in Toronto - Lesley Wood Chapter 19. Creating a Hyperlocal Infrastructure of Care: COVID-19 Mutual Aid Groups in the UK - Anastasia Kavada Chapter 20. ‘Solidarity, Not Charity’: Emotions as Cultural Challenge of Grassroots Activism - Tommaso Gravante and Alice Poma Chapter 21. Self-reliance as an Answer to the Pandemic: hopes from India’s margins - Ashish Kothari Chapter 22. Social Movements and Self-reliance: Community Mobilisation in South Africa - Kate Alexander Chapter 23. Resilience, Reworking, and Resistance in New York City - John Krinsky and Hillary Caldwell Part 4: “The COVID Will Not Kill the Revolution”: Protest Movements in the Pandemic Chapter 24. “Defund the Police:” Strategy and Struggle for Racial Justice in the U.S. - Nara Roberta Silva Chapter 25. A Matter of Survival: The Lebanese Uprising in Times of Pandemic - Alexandra Kassir Chapter 26. Hong Kong: From Democratic Protests to Medical Workers' Strike in a Pandemic - Chris Chan and Ana Tsui Chapter 27. Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia: a Return to Authoritarianism After the Revolutions? - Kamal Lahbib Chapter 28. The French Strike Movement: Keeping up the Struggle in Times of Covid-19 - Clément Petitjean Part 5: Critical Thinking and Emerging Theoretical Challenges Chapter 29. Coronavirus, Risk and Social Change - José Maurício Domingues Chapter 30. Challenges to Critical Thinking: Social Life and the Pandemic - Kathya Araujo Chapter 31. A Sociology for a Post-COVID-19 Society - Sari Hanafi Chapter 32. The Paradox of Disturbance: Africa and the Coronavirus - Elísio Macamo Chapter 33. We Are All mortal: From the Empty Signifier to the Open Nature of History - Rita Laura Segato Chapter 34. The COVID-19 Pandemic and the Crisis of Care - Karina Batthyány Part VI. Post-Pandemic Transitions and Futures in Contention Chapter 35. Global Chaos and the New Geopolitics of Power and of Resistances - Breno Bringel Chapter 36. Denialism, ‘Gattopardism’ and Transitionism - Boaventura de Sousa Santos Chapter 37. Coronavirus, the Gift and Post-neoliberal Scenarios - Paulo Henrique Martins Chapter 38. Post-Pandemic Transitions in a Civilizational Perspective - Arturo Escobar Chapter 39. The World That is Coming: Pandemic, Movements and Change - Geoffrey Pleyers

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Book SynopsisThis accessible book introduces students to perspectives from the field of science and technology studies. Putting forward the thesis that science and democracy share important characteristics, it shows how authority cannot be taken for granted and must continuously be reproduced and confirmed by others. At a time when fundamental scientific and democratic values are being threatened by sceptics and populist arguments, an understanding of the relationship between them is much needed. This is an invaluable resource for all who are interested in the role of scientific knowledge in governance, societal developments and the implications for democracy, concerned publics and citizen engagement.Table of Contents1. The Best Knowledge and the Best Mode of Governance Part 1: Separation 2. Science and Politics as Separate Domains 3. The Relationship between Science and Politics Part 2: Overlap 4. Close but Not Too Close Part 3: Co-production 5. Co-production of Scientific Knowledge and Societal Order 6. Participation as Co-production 7. Scientific Citizenship 8. What Can Science and Technological Studies Say about Science and Democracy?

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Book SynopsisThis accessible book introduces students to perspectives from the field of science and technology studies. Putting forward the thesis that science and democracy share important characteristics, it shows how authority cannot be taken for granted and must continuously be reproduced and confirmed by others. At a time when fundamental scientific and democratic values are being threatened by sceptics and populist arguments, an understanding of the relationship between them is much needed. This is an invaluable resource for all who are interested in the role of scientific knowledge in governance, societal developments and the implications for democracy, concerned publics and citizen engagement.Table of Contents1. The Best Knowledge and the Best Mode of Governance Part 1: Separation 2. Science and Politics as Separate Domains 3. The Relationship between Science and Politics Part 2: Overlap 4. Close but Not Too Close Part 3: Co-production 5. Co-production of Scientific Knowledge and Societal Order 6. Participation as Co-production 7. Scientific Citizenship 8. What Can Science and Technological Studies Say about Science and Democracy?

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Book SynopsisA rare and powerful illustration of what it takes to become a sustainable, community-embedded organization that continually grows the next generation of compassionate leaders. This essential, timely book meets us at our current moment of crisis to offer hope that American democracy’s stalled trajectory toward its founding creed to embrace all, and not just some, can indeed be re-invigorated. Pedagogy of a Beloved Commons is about low-income youth of color working within justice-oriented, community-based organizations to improve the social and spatial conditions in their surroundings. It draws from hundreds of pages of data, some collected over a decade ago by graduate research assistants at three universities and some collected recently by a graduate research assistant at a fourth university, to present verbatim quotes from interviews with constituents of three youth-serving organizations. The book posits that the disinvested neighborhoods where youth experience abandonment and marginality in fact can serve as a call to action, given appropriate organizational support. Pedagogy of a Beloved Commons envisions a place-based critical pedagogy that can provide young people with the practical skills and deep values to engage with today’s economic, racial, and ecological crises. It offers a welcome antidote to a neoliberal education system that has not only veered away from its public mandate to advance democratic citizenship but that has also reinforced today’s insidious economic inequality, rendering illusive the idea that rich and poor can work together toward a common good. Between these pages resonates a passionate call for an approach to cultivating citizens who have the critical skills to challenge injustice, the courage to hold the rich and powerful accountable, and the empathy to advance not just their own self-interest but also the health and well-being of their communities and the planet. The author proposes that such citizens develop by exercising collective agency in “the commons,” a political and psychic space whose values are mapped out in physical space. Through the expert use of an architect’s lens, this groundbreaking book argues that the three-dimensional concreteness of the nation’s disinvested neighborhoods provides a virtual stage where disenfranchised youth can experiment with collective life, become more discerning about the forces that have shaped their communities, and practice working toward just and inclusive futures. Merging Paolo Freire’s seminal theory of critical pedagogy with Grace Lee Boggs’s belief that hands-on community-building can disrupt the ever more destructive forces of neoliberal capitalism, Pedagogy of a Beloved Commons refines an aspirational framework for a pathway forward through a careful analysis of three exemplar organizations. It offers rich, unique portraits of young people transforming their communities in southwest Detroit, Wai’anae, and Harlem, respectively illustrating place-based activism through theater, organic farming, and critical inquiry. Here activism is framed as the hands-on engagement of youth in addressing inequities in the commons of their neighborhoods through small but persistent interventions that also help them learn the language of solidarity and collectivity that a sustainable democracy needs. Pedagogy of a Beloved Commons is a must-read for our times and for our future.Table of ContentsPrologue | vii Introduction: The Need for a Place-Based Approach | 1 PART I: SOUTHWEST DETROIT, MICHIGAN: ACTIVISM THROUGH THEATRE | 29 Historical Context | 31 2004–2005 Narrative | 39 2020–2021 Context and Narrative | 54 Theorizing the Narratives | 60 PART II: WAI’ANAE, HAWAI’I: ACTIVISM THROUGH ORGANIC FARMING | 77 Historical Context | 81 2004–2005 Narrative | 88 2020–2021 Narrative | 100 Theorizing the Narratives | 114 PART III: HARLEM, NEW YORK: ACTIVISM THROUGH CRITICAL INQUIRY | 127 Historical Context | 129 2004–2005 Narrative | 136 2020–2021 Narrative | 148 Theorizing the Narratives | 163 Conclusions: Pedagogy of a Beloved Community | 177 Epilogue | 207 Bibliography | 217 Index | 229

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Book SynopsisA rare and powerful illustration of what it takes to become a sustainable, community-embedded organization that continually grows the next generation of compassionate leaders. This essential, timely book meets us at our current moment of crisis to offer hope that American democracy’s stalled trajectory toward its founding creed to embrace all, and not just some, can indeed be re-invigorated. Pedagogy of a Beloved Commons is about low-income youth of color working within justice-oriented, community-based organizations to improve the social and spatial conditions in their surroundings. It draws from hundreds of pages of data, some collected over a decade ago by graduate research assistants at three universities and some collected recently by a graduate research assistant at a fourth university, to present verbatim quotes from interviews with constituents of three youth-serving organizations. The book posits that the disinvested neighborhoods where youth experience abandonment and marginality in fact can serve as a call to action, given appropriate organizational support. Pedagogy of a Beloved Commons envisions a place-based critical pedagogy that can provide young people with the practical skills and deep values to engage with today’s economic, racial, and ecological crises. It offers a welcome antidote to a neoliberal education system that has not only veered away from its public mandate to advance democratic citizenship but that has also reinforced today’s insidious economic inequality, rendering illusive the idea that rich and poor can work together toward a common good. Between these pages resonates a passionate call for an approach to cultivating citizens who have the critical skills to challenge injustice, the courage to hold the rich and powerful accountable, and the empathy to advance not just their own self-interest but also the health and well-being of their communities and the planet. The author proposes that such citizens develop by exercising collective agency in “the commons,” a political and psychic space whose values are mapped out in physical space. Through the expert use of an architect’s lens, this groundbreaking book argues that the three-dimensional concreteness of the nation’s disinvested neighborhoods provides a virtual stage where disenfranchised youth can experiment with collective life, become more discerning about the forces that have shaped their communities, and practice working toward just and inclusive futures. Merging Paolo Freire’s seminal theory of critical pedagogy with Grace Lee Boggs’s belief that hands-on community-building can disrupt the ever more destructive forces of neoliberal capitalism, Pedagogy of a Beloved Commons refines an aspirational framework for a pathway forward through a careful analysis of three exemplar organizations. It offers rich, unique portraits of young people transforming their communities in southwest Detroit, Wai’anae, and Harlem, respectively illustrating place-based activism through theater, organic farming, and critical inquiry. Here activism is framed as the hands-on engagement of youth in addressing inequities in the commons of their neighborhoods through small but persistent interventions that also help them learn the language of solidarity and collectivity that a sustainable democracy needs. Pedagogy of a Beloved Commons is a must-read for our times and for our future.Table of ContentsPrologue | vii Introduction: The Need for a Place-Based Approach | 1 PART I: SOUTHWEST DETROIT, MICHIGAN: ACTIVISM THROUGH THEATRE | 29 Historical Context | 31 2004–2005 Narrative | 39 2020–2021 Context and Narrative | 54 Theorizing the Narratives | 60 PART II: WAI’ANAE, HAWAI’I: ACTIVISM THROUGH ORGANIC FARMING | 77 Historical Context | 81 2004–2005 Narrative | 88 2020–2021 Narrative | 100 Theorizing the Narratives | 114 PART III: HARLEM, NEW YORK: ACTIVISM THROUGH CRITICAL INQUIRY | 127 Historical Context | 129 2004–2005 Narrative | 136 2020–2021 Narrative | 148 Theorizing the Narratives | 163 Conclusions: Pedagogy of a Beloved Community | 177 Epilogue | 207 Bibliography | 217 Index | 229

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Book SynopsisA New Abridgement of a Classic on the American Experiment.As debates rage over the future of America and the country's relationship to its past, there is no better time to examine the American culture from the perspective of a nineteenth century French thinker and student of democracy. Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America, written in French in the early 19th century, is seen as a classic of American political and cultural studies. However, the expansive 2--volume original has never seen an accessible version that remains true to the original text. This new abridgement of Francis Bowen's 1864 translation keeps Tocqueville's thought intact. All chapters have been retained and no sentences have been divided. This volume offers a clear window into American political history and a concise approach to this classic outsider's perspective on the United States. A new introduction by editor John D. Wilsey further interprets and applies Tocqueville's thought for the modern student of American institutions, politics, religion, and society.Trade ReviewTocqueville's Democracy in America is one of the most important books--indeed, perhaps the most important book--for understanding American politics and society. John D. Wilsey's abridgment succeeds in placing an accessible version of this magnum opus in the hands of students and general readers, while his introduction provides a clear guide for understanding the work. By sharing Tocqueville's ideas broadly, Wilsey has contributed to educating the American democracy.--Jonathan Den Hartog, associate professor of history, University of Northwestern--St. Paul, St. Paul, MinnesotaAlexis de Tocqueville is the greatest political theorist of democracy, and Democracy in America is his greatest writing. Editor John Wilsey provides an excellent introduction to Tocqueville's thought and a judicious abridgment of the book that trims it down to half its original size while retaining Tocqueville's most important thoughts on issues such as democracy, liberty, religion, and race. Highly recommended.--Bruce Ashford, provost and professor of theology and culture, Southeastern Baptist Theological SeminaryJohn Wilsey's edition of Democracy in America brings Tocqueville's essential text into the classroom. Focusing on democracy, liberty, and racial prejudice, Wilsey draws attention to the important themes that have made Tocqueville's work required reading as both a historical artifact and a statement of political philosophy. With careful abridgment and an approachable introduction, Wilsey helps faculty and students alike understand the meaning of Democracy in America in its own time and today.--Emily Conroy-Krutz, assistant professor of history, Michigan State UniversityFramed by a thoughtful introduction to Democracy in America's historical context and its core philosophical and social concerns, this volume deftly balances reader accessibility with coverage of essential elements of the original text.--Lloyd Benson, W. K. Mattison Professor of History, Furman UniversityWilsey's marvelous editing of Alexis de Tocqueville's classic Democracy in America is both timely and instructive, given our current political context and racial climate in 21st-century America. Students, professors, and the general reader will benefit from a renewed edition of Tocqueville's prescient 19th-century observations of our still-burgeoning republic as well as from Wilsey's skillful teasing out of Tocqueville's views on race and slavery in a fresh, thoughtful, and insightful introduction. This book will be a benefit to American classrooms and a "must have" for educators' libraries for decades to come.--Otis W. Pickett, assistant professor of history, Mississippi CollegeJohn D. Wilsey has achieved something near impossible--the abridgement of Alexis de Tocqueville's masterpiece Democracy in America while retaining its core contributions to our understanding of Jacksonian America up to the present. In his introduction, Wilsey provides readers an excellent guide for understanding Tocqueville's treatment of equality, democracy, liberty, and especially slavery. This volume is perfect for high school and college students, but any curious reader could pick up a copy to start his or her study of this classic text.--James M. Patterson, assistant professor of politics, Ave Maria UniversityDemocracy in America has always been essential reading for students of American history and of the history of political and social thought. But teachers on the secondary-school and undergraduate levels who might otherwise make generous use of Tocqueville's luminous text have often been daunted by the length and expense entailed in assigning the whole book. For such teachers and their students, this careful abridgment of the Democracy, trimmed to half its original length and framed by the editor's thoughtful introductory essay, will prove to be just what the doctor ordered.--Wilfred M. McClay, G. T. and Libby Blankenship Chair in the History of Liberty, and director of the Center for the History of Liberty, University of OklahomaTocqueville's unparalleled analysis of the American experiment--his praise of it, and his prescient warnings about a people detached from virtue and religion--should be required reading for every American citizen. This superb abridgment communicates the power of the original in a way that makes thinking with Tocqueville easier than ever. Recommended!--C. C. Pecknold, associate professor of theology, The Catholic University of AmericaWilsey's volume on Tocqueville's notoriously complex Democracy in America does an excellent job of contextualizing for the modern reader. He reminds readers of the importance of reading Tocqueville in a historically critical manner that takes into account Tocqueville's own views of democracy, as well as the fact that his writings should be properly understood as a "window into Jacksonian America." Wilsey's consideration of Tocqueville's predictions on what slavery and racial inequality might mean for the United States are another important contribution this volume makes to the considerable scholarship on Tocqueville.--Jessica M. Parr, adjunct professor and project coordinator for public history, UNH-Manchester

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Book SynopsisWritten in the aftermath of the American Civil War during the ferment of national Reconstruction, Walt Whitman's ""Democratic Vistas"" remains one of the most penetrating analyses of democracy ever written. Diagnosing democracy's failures as well as laying out its vast possibilities, Whitman offers an unflinching assessment of the ongoing social experiment known as the United States. Now available for the first time in a facsimile of the original 1870-1871 edition, with an introduction and annotations by noted Whitman scholar Ed Folsom that illuminate the essay's historical and cultural contexts, this searing analysis of American culture offers readers today the opportunity to argue with Whitman over the nature of democracy and the future of the nation. Living in Washington, D.C., where Congress granted male African Americans the right to vote nearly five years before the fifteenth amendment extended that right across the nation, and working for the office charged with enforcing the new civil rights amendments to the Constitution, Whitman was at the volatile center of his nation's massive attempt to reconstruct and redefine itself after the tumultuous years of civil war. In the enduring cultural document that Democratic Vistas has become, the great poet of democracy analyzes the role that literature plays in the development of a culture, the inevitable tensions between the 'democratic individual' and the 'democratic nationality', and the corrosive effects of materialism on the democratic spirit. His own conflicting racial biases notwithstanding, Whitman in ""Democratic Vistas"" offers his most eloquent and extended articulation of the beckoning American democratic future. At a time when the nation has elected a president whom Whitman could never have imagined, his controversial and provocative book is a timely reminder of those occasions when we experience the expansion of America's democratic dream.

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Book SynopsisSeminal plays and essays reveal the radical origins and approach of Appalachia’s Roadside Theater This two-volume anthology tells the story of Roadside Theater’s first 45 years and includes nine award-winning original play scripts; ten essays by authors from different disciplines and generations, which explore the plays’ social, economic, and political circumstances; and a critical recounting of the theater’s history from 1975 through 2020. The plays in Volume 1 offer a people’s history of the Appalachian coalfields, from the European incursion through the American War in Vietnam.Trade ReviewArt in a Democracy overflows like water from a well, chronicling a rural working-class theater’s 45-years of crisscrossing the country bridging bitter partisan, racial, and other divisions by dramatizing the tremendous local intelligence and creativity inherent in every community. This collection of plays and commentary represents the cutting edge of a new democratic art. -- Harry Boyte, Senior Scholar in Public Work Philosophy, Institute for Public Life and WorkRoadside Theater has mustered diverse local folks in declining towns in Appalachia to celebrate their traditions and restore community confidence through dramatization of local stories and music. -- Robert Putnam, author, Bowling AloneThese two volumes are an indispensable gift to our field. These plays, and the insightful essays that accompany them, offer a roadmap to hope, joy, and inspiration. -- Bill Rauch, founding artistic director of the Perelman Performing Arts CenterThe impact on Urban Bush Women from our work with Roadside Theater over two decades cannot be overstated. Art in a Democracy unveils the way we can build strong bonds through working, living, and creating art with communities while addressing social inequities. The history embedded in these volumes is priceless. -- Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Founding Artistic Director, Urban Bush Women; 2021 MacArthur Award Fellow; 2022 Gish Prize recipient

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Book SynopsisSeminal plays and essays reveal the radical origins and approach of Appalachia’s Roadside Theater This two-volume anthology tells the story of Roadside Theater’s first 45 years and includes nine award-winning original play scripts; ten essays by authors from different disciplines and generations, which explore the plays’ social, economic, and political circumstances; and a critical recounting of the theater’s history from 1975 through 2020. The plays in Volume 1 offer a people’s history of the Appalachian coalfields, from the European incursion through the American War in Vietnam.Trade ReviewArt in a Democracy overflows like water from a well, chronicling a rural working-class theater’s 45-years of crisscrossing the country bridging bitter partisan, racial, and other divisions by dramatizing the tremendous local intelligence and creativity inherent in every community. This collection of plays and commentary represents the cutting edge of a new democratic art. -- Harry Boyte, Senior Scholar in Public Work Philosophy, Institute for Public Life and WorkRoadside Theater has mustered diverse local folks in declining towns in Appalachia to celebrate their traditions and restore community confidence through dramatization of local stories and music. -- Robert Putnam, author, Bowling AloneThese two volumes are an indispensable gift to our field. These plays, and the insightful essays that accompany them, offer a roadmap to hope, joy, and inspiration. -- Bill Rauch, founding artistic director of the Perelman Performing Arts CenterThe impact on Urban Bush Women from our work with Roadside Theater over two decades cannot be overstated. Art in a Democracy unveils the way we can build strong bonds through working, living, and creating art with communities while addressing social inequities. The history embedded in these volumes is priceless. -- Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Founding Artistic Director, Urban Bush Women; 2021 MacArthur Award Fellow; 2022 Gish Prize recipient

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Book SynopsisCollaborative plays with diverse ensembles across the country address pressing issues of our times The plays in Volume 2 come from Roadside’s intercultural and issue-specific theater work, including long-term collaborations with the African American Junebug Productions in New Orleans and the Puerto Rican Pregones Theater in the South Bronx, as well as with residents on both sides of the walls of recently-built prisons. Roadside has spent 45 years searching for what art in a democracy might look like. The anthology raises questions such as, What are common principles and common barriers to achieving democracy across disciplines, and how can the disciplines unite in common democratic cause?Trade ReviewArt in a Democracy overflows like water from a well, chronicling a rural working-class theater’s 45-years of crisscrossing the country bridging bitter partisan, racial, and other divisions by dramatizing the tremendous local intelligence and creativity inherent in every community. This collection of plays and commentary represents the cutting edge of a new democratic art. -- Harry Boyte, Senior Scholar in Public Work Philosophy, Institute for Public Life and WorkRoadside Theater has mustered diverse local folks in declining towns in Appalachia to celebrate their traditions and restore community confidence through dramatization of local stories and music. -- Robert Putnam, author, Bowling AloneThese two volumes are an indispensable gift to our field. These plays, and the insightful essays that accompany them, offer a roadmap to hope, joy, and inspiration. -- Bill Rauch, founding artistic director of the Perelman Performing Arts CenterThe impact on Urban Bush Women from our work with Roadside Theater over two decades cannot be overstated. Art in a Democracy unveils the way we can build strong bonds through working, living, and creating art with communities while addressing social inequities. The history embedded in these volumes is priceless. -- Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Founding Artistic Director, Urban Bush Women; 2021 MacArthur Award Fellow; 2022 Gish Prize recipient

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Book SynopsisCollaborative plays with diverse ensembles across the country address pressing issues of our times The plays in Volume 2 come from Roadside’s intercultural and issue-specific theater work, including long-term collaborations with the African American Junebug Productions in New Orleans and the Puerto Rican Pregones Theater in the South Bronx, as well as with residents on both sides of the walls of recently-built prisons. Roadside has spent 45 years searching for what art in a democracy might look like. The anthology raises questions such as, What are common principles and common barriers to achieving democracy across disciplines, and how can the disciplines unite in common democratic cause?Trade ReviewArt in a Democracy overflows like water from a well, chronicling a rural working-class theater’s 45-years of crisscrossing the country bridging bitter partisan, racial, and other divisions by dramatizing the tremendous local intelligence and creativity inherent in every community. This collection of plays and commentary represents the cutting edge of a new democratic art. -- Harry Boyte, Senior Scholar in Public Work Philosophy, Institute for Public Life and WorkRoadside Theater has mustered diverse local folks in declining towns in Appalachia to celebrate their traditions and restore community confidence through dramatization of local stories and music. -- Robert Putnam, author, Bowling AloneThese two volumes are an indispensable gift to our field. These plays, and the insightful essays that accompany them, offer a roadmap to hope, joy, and inspiration. -- Bill Rauch, founding artistic director of the Perelman Performing Arts CenterThe impact on Urban Bush Women from our work with Roadside Theater over two decades cannot be overstated. Art in a Democracy unveils the way we can build strong bonds through working, living, and creating art with communities while addressing social inequities. The history embedded in these volumes is priceless. -- Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Founding Artistic Director, Urban Bush Women; 2021 MacArthur Award Fellow; 2022 Gish Prize recipient

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Book SynopsisThis two-volume anthology tells the story of Roadside Theater’s first 45 years and includes nine award-winning original play scripts; ten essays by authors from different disciplines and generations, which explore the plays’ social, economic, and political circumstances; and a critical recounting of the theater’s history from 1975 through 2020. The plays in Volume 1 offer a people’s history of the Appalachian coalfields, from the European incursion through the American War in Vietnam. The plays in Volume 2 come from Roadside’s intercultural and issue-specific theater work, including long-term collaborations with the African American Junebug Productions in New Orleans and the Puerto Rican Pregones Theater in the South Bronx, as well as with residents on both sides of the walls of recently-built prisons. Roadside has spent 45 years searching for what art in a democracy might look like. The anthology raises questions such as, What are common principles and common barriers to achieving democracy across disciplines, and how can the disciplines unite in common democratic cause?Trade Review"Art in a Democracy overflows like water from a well, chronicling a rural working-class theater’s 45-years of crisscrossing the country bridging bitter partisan, racial, and other divisions by dramatizing the tremendous local intelligence and creativity inherent in every community. This collection of plays and commentary represents the cutting edge of a new democratic art." -- Harry Boyte, Senior Scholar in Public Work Philosophy, Institute for Public Life and Work"Roadside Theater has mustered diverse local folks in declining towns in Appalachia to celebrate their traditions and restore community confidence through dramatization of local stories and music." -- Robert Putnam, author, Bowling Alone"These two volumes are an indispensable gift to our field. These plays, and the insightful essays that accompany them, offer a roadmap to hope, joy, and inspiration." -- Bill Rauch, founding artistic director of the Perelman Performing Arts Center"The impact on Urban Bush Women from our work with Roadside Theater over two decades cannot be overstated. Art in a Democracy unveils the way we can build strong bonds through working, living, and creating art with communities while addressing social inequities. The history embedded in these volumes is priceless." -- Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Founding Artistic Director, Urban Bush Women; 2021 MacArthur Award Fellow; 2022 Gish Prize recipient

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Book SynopsisA definitive analysis of the impacts of the Iraq antiwar movement As the Bush administration prepared to wage war against Iraq, millions of people in the United States and around the world took to the streets to warn against the impending disaster. It was the largest wave of antiwar protest in history. This is the story of those dramatic events, told by distinguished peace scholar and activist David Cortright. This revealing account offers an insider view of the emergence of the movement and its political and communications strategies in attempting to prevent the attack. It reviews the arrogance of power as senior officials rejected public and expert opinion and rushed ahead with their ill-fated invasion. The book traces efforts by opponents of the war to end the worsening conflict and win Congressional approval for the withdrawal of troops. Cortright explores the role of the Iraq issue and the impact of antiwar networks in propelling Barack Obama to the White House, and the frustrations many activists felt in navigating the limitations of conventional politics. Readable, insightful and passionately argued, A Peaceful Superpower provides a definitive analysis of the impacts of the Iraq antiwar movement and a hopeful look at the power of civil society to shape the course of history.Trade Review"A Peaceful Superpower is well organized and has extensive endnotes and a useful bibliography. It is a tremendous contribution to our knowledge of the efforts to try to 'stop a war before it started.'" * The Progressive *"“Antiwar activists came up short in their efforts to avert the Gulf War of 2003. Even so, those efforts have much to teach. The place to begin learning is here, with David Cortright's concise but impressively comprehensive and insightful book.”" -- Andrew Bacevich * co-founder and chairman of the Quincy Institute for Responsible State *"“The enormous international protest against the US-UK criminal invasion of Iraq, even before the invasion was officially announced, was unprecedented. It did not stop the war, but had a major impact, examined in careful detail in this study by a leading participant-observer – a virtual handbook for activism and organizing that could not be more timely and needed.”" -- Noam Chomsky"“David Cortright offers us a timeless gift in this book. A Peaceful Superpower has a relevancy for today precisely because it demonstrates that for powerful national leaders around the world war remains the political default option which in turn requires the diligent building of both a strong web of domestic anti-war mobilization and transnational response.”" -- John Paul Lederach * Professor Emeritus, University of Notre Dame *"“A brilliant analysis and richly documented narrative of the international mobilization against the catastrophic invasion and occupation of Iraq. David Cortright, a leading activist and scholar of peace movements since the Vietnam era, has written a book that anyone who wants to understand this inspiring history must read.”" -- Michael Kazin * author of War Against War: The American Fight for Peace, 1914–1918 *

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Book SynopsisA definitive analysis of the impacts of the Iraq antiwar movement As the Bush administration prepared to wage war against Iraq, millions of people in the United States and around the world took to the streets to warn against the impending disaster. It was the largest wave of antiwar protest in history. This is the story of those dramatic events, told by distinguished peace scholar and activist David Cortright. This revealing account offers an insider view of the emergence of the movement and its political and communications strategies in attempting to prevent the attack. It reviews the arrogance of power as senior officials rejected public and expert opinion and rushed ahead with their ill-fated invasion. The book traces efforts by opponents of the war to end the worsening conflict and win Congressional approval for the withdrawal of troops. Cortright explores the role of the Iraq issue and the impact of antiwar networks in propelling Barack Obama to the White House, and the frustrations many activists felt in navigating the limitations of conventional politics. Readable, insightful and passionately argued, A Peaceful Superpower provides a definitive analysis of the impacts of the Iraq antiwar movement and a hopeful look at the power of civil society to shape the course of history.Trade ReviewA Peaceful Superpower is well organized and has extensive endnotes and a useful bibliography. It is a tremendous contribution to our knowledge of the efforts to try to 'stop a war before it started.' * The Progressive *“Antiwar activists came up short in their efforts to avert the Gulf War of 2003. Even so, those efforts have much to teach. The place to begin learning is here, with David Cortright's concise but impressively comprehensive and insightful book.” -- Andrew Bacevich * co-founder and chairman of the Quincy Institute for Responsible State *“The enormous international protest against the US-UK criminal invasion of Iraq, even before the invasion was officially announced, was unprecedented. It did not stop the war, but had a major impact, examined in careful detail in this study by a leading participant-observer – a virtual handbook for activism and organizing that could not be more timely and needed.” -- Noam Chomsky“David Cortright offers us a timeless gift in this book. A Peaceful Superpower has a relevancy for today precisely because it demonstrates that for powerful national leaders around the world war remains the political default option which in turn requires the diligent building of both a strong web of domestic anti-war mobilization and transnational response.” -- John Paul Lederach * Professor Emeritus, University of Notre Dame *“A brilliant analysis and richly documented narrative of the international mobilization against the catastrophic invasion and occupation of Iraq. David Cortright, a leading activist and scholar of peace movements since the Vietnam era, has written a book that anyone who wants to understand this inspiring history must read.” -- Michael Kazin * author of War Against War: The American Fight for Peace, 1914–1918 *

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Book SynopsisPeace, many would agree, is a goal that democratic nations should strive to achieve. Considering the question of whether democracy is dependent on war, two celebrated political scientists trace the ways in which governments have mobilised armies since antiquity. They find that our modern form of democracy not only evolved in a brutally competitive environment but also was quickly excised when the powerful no longer needed their citizenry to defend against existential threats. Bringing to life many of the battles that shaped our world, the authors show how centralised monarchies replaced feudalism, why dictatorships can mobilise large forces but often fail at long-term military campaigns and how drone warfare has weakened democracy. In the spirit of Francis Fukuyama and Niall Ferguson, Forged Through Fire has far-reaching implications and will become the centrepiece of the democratic debate.

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Book SynopsisThis volume takes a closer look at America's evolving ideas about the nature and value of the democratic system. A select collection of primary and secondary sources provide viewpoints and arguments on the issue of democracy's past, present, and future, and will cover issues like the rise and fall of American socialism, the evolution of patriotism, and views on how America's political system embodies and fails to embody democratic ideals.

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Book SynopsisGlobalization, modernization, and technologization have brought rapid social and economic change while also increasing diversity of democratic societies. Plurality of democracy, once viewed as a progressive ideology, has been met by the movement of identity politics to the margins of society. Although social movements demanding recognition on the part of groups that were once invisible to mainstream society have brought attention to systemic inequities, prejudice, and discriminatory policies, other groups feeling a loss of status and a sense of displacement have pushed back with counterclaims and protests. These conflicting narratives have fractured society and segmented the populace along narrowly defined identities, creating a new era of democracy and isolationism.Today in the United States we see the troubling effects of increasingly polarized political discourse: amplified gridlock within government, the politicization and fragmentation of economic and social life, and the suppression of the spread of information across ideological lines. The socio-political climate in America is characterized by skepticism, hostility, distrust, claims of fake news, and unwavering opposition. The divide within our nation has shifted the narrative of democracy from promoting the common good to protecting the interests of likeminded factions and the preservation of power and privilege.In recent decades, researchers focused attention on studying the social, geographic, political, and technological polarization in the United States. Trends manifest in myriad ways, both in politics and in everyday life, and expose the divergence between urban and rural communities. These inquiries also suggest that causes and effects of identity politics and polarization are too complex to be studied within the confines of a single discipline. Its exploration, therefore, requires participation and collaboration from scholars in many different fields, particularly those working in the social sciences. In this edited volume, we seek to leverage this research capacity to engage the reader in studies and instruction concerning the divide within and the intersections of realities, facts, theories, and practices in social science education.

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Book SynopsisGlobalization, modernization, and technologization have brought rapid social and economic change while also increasing diversity of democratic societies. Plurality of democracy, once viewed as a progressive ideology, has been met by the movement of identity politics to the margins of society. Although social movements demanding recognition on the part of groups that were once invisible to mainstream society have brought attention to systemic inequities, prejudice, and discriminatory policies, other groups feeling a loss of status and a sense of displacement have pushed back with counterclaims and protests. These conflicting narratives have fractured society and segmented the populace along narrowly defined identities, creating a new era of democracy and isolationism.Today in the United States we see the troubling effects of increasingly polarized political discourse: amplified gridlock within government, the politicization and fragmentation of economic and social life, and the suppression of the spread of information across ideological lines. The socio-political climate in America is characterized by skepticism, hostility, distrust, claims of fake news, and unwavering opposition. The divide within our nation has shifted the narrative of democracy from promoting the common good to protecting the interests of likeminded factions and the preservation of power and privilege.In recent decades, researchers focused attention on studying the social, geographic, political, and technological polarization in the United States. Trends manifest in myriad ways, both in politics and in everyday life, and expose the divergence between urban and rural communities. These inquiries also suggest that causes and effects of identity politics and polarization are too complex to be studied within the confines of a single discipline. Its exploration, therefore, requires participation and collaboration from scholars in many different fields, particularly those working in the social sciences. In this edited volume, we seek to leverage this research capacity to engage the reader in studies and instruction concerning the divide within and the intersections of realities, facts, theories, and practices in social science education.

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Book SynopsisA close examination of the competing influences of the West and Russia over the fate of democracy in Georgia and other former Soviet bloc nations Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, newly formed transitional regimes took up the challenging task of democratization, a task that was complicated by competition between great world powers over the future of such regimes. This book explores the effects and implications of competition between Russia and Western nations, with specific reference to democratization in the case of Georgia. In doing so, it challenges the conventional wisdom that competition between promoters of democracy and autocracy reduces the effectiveness of efforts toward democracy. Using the compelling example of Georgia, author Zarina Burkadze argues that great power competition may distribute political power in a way that causes a democratic regime to emerge, supporting her argument with evidence from an impressive array of archival sources as well as from sixty-six interviews with state officials, opposition leaders, foreign diplomats, media and nongovernmental representatives, and other experts. While the case study of Georgia is the central concern of the narrative, the book's final chapter provides an important cross-case comparison of democratization efforts in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Moldova, and Ukraine.Table of ContentsPreface Acronyms and Abbreviations Introduction: The Puzzle of Georgian Democratization Chapter 1: Autocracy and Democracy in Georgia: What Made the Difference? Chapter 2: Democratization without Great Power Competition, 1991-1993 Chapter 3: Pluralizing Geopolitical Space, 1993-2003 Chapter 4: The Dictatorship of Democrats, 2003-2012 Chapter 5 Democratic Arrival? 2012-2020 Chapter 6: Democracies In-Between Conclusion Appendix I Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisIn this fascinating analysis of political discourse in Cuban culture, María de los Ángeles Torres focuses on how the concept of time has been employed by different political projects. While the past and future are often evoked in rhetoric associated with authoritarianism, Torres argues, an emphasis on human actions in the present is important for a more democratic political culture, and she searches over a century of Cuban thought for this perspective.Delving into political texts and essays, literature, and art, Torres puts theories of temporalities in conversation with the Cuban experience. Torres closely examines the use of time and its political implications in Fidel Castro’s “History Will Absolve Me” speech, the writings of Jose Martí and Che Guevara, the poetry of Eliseo Diego and the Orígenes group, and paintings by Cuban exiles Nereida García Ferraz and María Martínez-Cañas.Recent events in Cuba have placed the search for democracy and social justice center stage, and Torres also studies the temporalities underpinning these movements, asking whether these projects are providing alternatives to overused past and future tropes. She suggests ways of thinking for today’s activists, encouraging them to remember history and imagine new possibilities while cultivating space for human agency now.

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Book SynopsisAustralian politics is changing.The two-party system is disappearing. The balance of power is shifting, and while it feels fragile now, we may just be on the precipice of a transformative era for democracy in Australia.On 21st May 2022, Australia voted, not just for change in individual seats, but a complete realignment of the way in which our political system works.This book is about how that happened, but it is also about what we have to do next, to make sure that these changes are not fleeting but are bedded down so that we move towards being the sort of progressive, open, economically stable and egalitarian nation many us what us to be.Voices of Us looks towards the future with hope and ideas.

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Book SynopsisThe contributors to Alberta Oil and the Decline of Democracycritically assess the political peculiarities of Alberta and the impactof the government’s relationship to the oil industry on the livesof the province’s most vulnerable citizens. They also examine thepublic policy environment and the entrenchment of neoliberal politicalideology in the province. In probing the relationship between oildependency and democracy in the context of an industrialized nation,Alberta Oil and the Decline of Democracy offers a crucial testof the “oil inhibits democracy” thesis that has hithertobeen advanced in relation to oil-producing countries in the GlobalSouth. If reliance on oil production appears to undermine democraticparticipation and governance in Alberta, then what does the Albertacase suggest for the future of democracy in industrialized nations suchas the United States and Australia, which are now in the process ofexploiting their own substantial shale oil reserves? The environmentalconsequences of oil production have, for example, been the subject ofmuch attention. Little is likely to change, however, if citizens ofoil-rich countries cannot effectively intervene to influence governmentpolicy.

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Book SynopsisIn 2011, political protests sprang up across the world. In the Middle East, Europe, Latin America, the United States unlikely people sparked or led massive protest campaigns from the Arab Spring to Occupy Wall Street. These protests were made up of educated and precariously employed young people who challenged the legitimacy of their political leaders, exposed a failure of representation, and expressed their dissatisfaction with their place in the aftermath of financial and economic crisis. This book interrogates what impacts, if any, this global protest cycle had on politics and policy and shows the sometimes unintended ways it continues to influence contemporary political dynamics throughout the world. Proposing a new framework of analysis that calls attention to the content and claims of protests, their global connections, and the responsiveness of political institutions to protest demands, this is one of the few books that not only asks how protest movements are formed but also provides an in-depth examination of what protest movements can accomplish. With contributions examining the political consequences of protest, the roles of social media and the internet in protest organization, left- and right-wing movements in the United States, Chile's student movements, the Arab Uprisings, and much more this collection is essential reading for all those interested in the power of protest to shape our world.Table of Contents List of Tables and Figures Abbreviations Acknowledgements Part I: Concepts and Explanations The Political Consequences of Protest MoisÉs Arce and Roberta Rice How Do We Explain Protest? Social Science, Grievances, and the Puzzle of Collective Action Erica S. Simmons Part II: Mechanisms and Processes Transnational Protest: 'Going Global' in the Current Protest Cycle against Economic Globalization Jeffrey Ayres and Laura Macdonald Collective Action in the Information Age: How Social Media Shapes the Character and Success of Protests Jennifer M. Larson Schools for Democracy? The Role of NGOs in Protests in Democracies in the Global South Carew E. Boulding Part III: Cases and Consequences The Ebbing and Flowing of Political Opportunity Structures: Revolution, Counter-Revolution, and the Arab Uprisings Paul Kingston 'You Taught Us to Give an Opinion, Now Learn How to Listen:' The Manifold Political Consequences of Chile's Student Movement Sofia Donoso and NicolÁs M. Somma Protest Cycles in the United States: From the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street to Sanders and Trump Ted Goertzel Conclusions Re-Thinking Protest Impacts MoisÉs Arce, Roberta Rice, and Eduardo Silva Index

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Book SynopsisThe Dutch Reformed Church, it was said in apartheid South Africa, was the National Party at prayer, and indeed, given that the Bible was so fundamental to much of the legislation that governed the apartheid state, that apparently satirical description had the ring of truth.‘Religion in South Africa’s past’, writes Dhammamegha Annie Leatt, has been ‘saturated by politics’ and politics ‘saturated by religion’. So how, she asks, was it possible for a new state to found itself without religious authority? Why did the churches give up so much of their political role in the transition? How can we think about tradition and the customary in relation to secularism? How can we not? In The State of Secularism Leatt guides the reader from a history of global political secularism through an exploration of the roles played by religion and traditional authority in apartheid South Africa to the position of religion in the post-apartheid state. She analyses the negotiations relating to religion in the constitution-making process, arguing that South Africa is both secular in its Constitution and judicial foundations and increasingly non-secular in its embrace of traditional authorities and customary law.In the final chapter Leatt turns her attention to post-apartheid South Africa, examining changing relationships between churches and the ruling African National Congress and the increasing influence of traditional leaders and evangelical Christians in an anti-liberal alliance. This book makes a tremendous contribution to the literature on postcolonial politics on the African continent. It has wonderful insights into the founding of a constitutional democracy in South Africa and will appeal to students in history, politics, sociology, anthropology and constitutional law.Key points This book makes a significant contribution to available literature on the role of religion and traditional authority in a postcolonial state. It sheds light on what was at stake in the often painstaking debates in the constitution-making process about the law and the place of religion in the future democratic state of South Africa. It looks at how traditional leadership and customary law were recognised in the postapartheid dispensation of democratic constitutionalism. This book will appeal to students in history, politics, sociology and anthropology, and constitutional law. Trade ReviewThe author deftly guides the reader through various committees, negotiation forums, interest groups, political parties and legal wrangles to uncover the often-surprising developments, alliances and political about-turns in the process of Constitution-making. This is not just politics as the search for power, or the politics of big men … but a thoroughly human affair with its attendant messiness, idealism, complexities and ambiguities."" — Ilana van Wyk, author of A Church of Strangers: The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God in South Africa.Table of Contents Abbreviations Glossary Preface 1 Thinking Secularism from South Africa 2 A South African Morality Tale: Religion, Tradition and Racialised Rule 3 Negotiated Consensus and Religious Rights 4 Re-establishing Traditional Authority 5 The Spirit of a New South Africa 6 Secular Constitutionalism in South Africa? Conclusion Notes Appendix 1 Postamble to the interim constitution Appendix 2 Excerpts from the South African Constitution Bibliography Index

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