Politics for people : finding a responsible public voice

By - Mathews, Forrest David

Floor - Floor 1

Published - Urbana, Ill. : University of Illinois Press, c1999.

ISBN 10 - 0252067630

ISBN 13 - 9780252067631

Book Status - 1 Qnty Available with us.

Subject - Political participation--United States.

Shelf No - 15

Call Number - 323.0420 MAT 1999

Edition - 2nd ed.

Physical Description - 275 p. ; 24 cm.

Notes - Includes bibliographical references (p. [257]-268) and index.

Book Information

This volume points out that many Americans, making no secret of their anger at being shut out of the political system, are looking for ways to take that system back. Because of their low opinion of "politics as usual, " the author contends that some people are trying to create a politics relevant to their everyday lives. He describes how people become politically engaged, how they build civic communities, and how they generate political energy or public will. He argues that political discussion is the doorway into politics, and he makes a case for infusing partisan debate with more public dialog. He then explains what a democratic citizenry must do if representative government is to perform effectively, and he shows how officials might work with, and not just for, the public. The author integrates an examination of the dilemma of inaccessible politics with practical examples of ways in which ordinary citizens can manage, influence, and even capture the future of their own communities.

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