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Even in the midst of an economic boom, most Americans would agree
that all is not right in our polity. Our civic institutions are in
bad shape, many argue, and we are growing ever more cynical and
disconnected from our leaders and from one another.
In response to this bleak assessment, advocates of "civil society"
argue that our society's predicament centers on the decline of our
local institutions and that if we are to restore a more
civic-minded society we must work to rejuvenate them. Christopher
Beem argues that while this goal is worthwhile, simply restoring
local institutions will not solve the problem; a civil society also
needs politics and government to provide a sense of shared values
and ideas.
This timely book seeks to correct a movement that is all too
willing to undervalue or dismiss the role of politics in
cultivating a moral society. More than this, "The Necessity of
Politics" calls for a more developed sense of what the state is
for, what our politics ought to be about, and of how state and
civil society are both necessary to fashion and sustain a moral
commonwealth.
The insurrection of January 6, 2021, demonstrated conclusively that
tribalism in the United States has become dangerous. The “other
side” is no longer viewed as a well-intentioned opponent but as
an existential threat. If we don’t change course, American
democracy is far from assured. This book outlines specific steps
that average citizens can take to back the nation away from the
brink. Instead of looking to political leaders, institutions, or
policy for solutions to extreme partisanship, Christopher Beem
argues that concerned citizens can and must take up the cause. He
spells out seven civic practices we can all follow that will help
us work against our antidemocratic tendencies and reorient the
nation toward the “more perfect union” of our Founders.
Beem’s road map to restore our democracy draws on thinkers from
Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas to James Madison, Hannah Arendt,
Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Empathetic and
eminently reasonable, The Seven Democratic Virtues presents
practical advice for what each of us can do to change the political
discourse and save our democracy. This is necessary reading for our
politics today—and in the future.
American politics is in a state of crisis but it is not clear why.
Nor do we know what to do about it. Reinhold Niebuhr helps us
understand what is wrong with our politics and research into the
workings of the brain confirms his analysis. Call it sin or
motivated reasoning and confirmation bias, the bottom line is that
all of us are what Niebuhr calls "Children of Light." We are all
vain and self-righteous about our beliefs and values, and far too
quick to reject any information that goes against them. The
unprecedented rise of talk radio and cable news helps to account
for why things are so bad. We all want to hear that our group is
smarter and more moral than others. To restore a democracy that
functions, we need to understand ourselves better and develop the
humility that such knowledge should engender.
American politics is in a state of crisis but it is not clear why.
Nor do we know what to do about it. Reinhold Niebuhr helps us
understand what is wrong with our politics and research into the
workings of the brain confirms his analysis. Call it sin or
motivated reasoning and confirmation bias, the bottom line is that
all of us are what Niebuhr calls "Children of Light." We are all
vain and self-righteous about our beliefs and values, and far too
quick to reject any information that goes against them. The
unprecedented rise of talk radio and cable news helps to account
for why things are so bad. We all want to hear that our group is
smarter and more moral than others. To restore a democracy that
functions, we need to understand ourselves better and develop the
humility that such knowledge should engender.
While many aspects of work have changed dramatically over the last
few decades, society has struggled to adapt, to the detriment of
working families. Work schedules and demands continue to reflect a
time when at least one parent stayed home, women remain underpaid
relative to men on average, and public schools still base their
hours on an agrarian calendar. Unfinished Work provides insights
into why we have not yet seen an effective national response to the
challenges faced by most working families in America today, and
offers solutions from leading thinkers in the field across the
disciplines of political science, sociology, economics, history,
and public policy.
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