One of America’s most distinguished political theorists examines
what happens when national politics enters a small New England town
After the election of 2016 and, even more urgently, after the
election of 2020, many citizens looked at the economic and cultural
divisions that were causing deep disruptions in American politics
and asked, “What is happening to us?” Paul W. Kahn explores
these fundamental changes as they show themselves in a small New
England town—his home of twenty-five years, Killingworth,
Connecticut. His inquiry grounds a democratic theory that puts
volunteering, not voting, at its center. Absent active
participation, citizens lose the capacity for judgment that comes
from working with others to solve real problems. Volunteering,
however, is under existential threat today. Changes in civil
society, commerce, employment, and public opinion formation have
isolated families from each other and from their communities. Even
middle-class families live under financial stress, uncertain of
their children’s future, and without the support of civil
society. Local media has disappeared. Residents do not have the
time, information, or interest to volunteer. Under these
conditions, national polarization enters local politics, which
becomes yet another site for national conflict. To save our
democracy, Kahn concludes, we need to find ways of matching
opportunities for participation to the ways we live our lives
today.
General
Imprint: |
Yale University Press
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
April 2023 |
Authors: |
Paul W. Kahn
|
Dimensions: |
235 x 156mm (L x W) |
Format: |
Hardcover
|
Pages: |
304 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-300-25742-7 |
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
0-300-25742-2 |
Barcode: |
9780300257427 |
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