Successful democracies rely on an active citizenry. They require citizens to participate by voting, serving on juries, and running for office. But what happens when those citizens purposefully opt out of politics? Exit-the act of leaving-is often thought of as purely instinctual, a part of the human ""fight or flight"" response, or, alternatively, motivated by an anti-participatory, self-centered impulse. However, in this eye-opening book, Jennet Kirkpatrick argues that the concept of exit deserves closer scrutiny. She names and examines several examples of political withdrawal, from Thoreau decamping to Walden to slaves fleeing to the North during the Civil War. In doing so, Kirkpatrick not only explores what happens when people make the decision to remove themselves, but also expands our understanding of exit as a political act, illustrating how political systems change in the aftermath of actual or threatened departure. Moreover, she reframes the decision to refuse to play along-whether as a fugitive slave, a dissident who is exiled but whose influence remains, or a government in exile-as one that shapes political discourse, historically and today.

Now in its twelfth edition,Political Ideologies and the Democratic Ideal continues the book's tradition of offering a clear, concise, and comprehensive introduction to the ideas and ideals that shake and shape our political world. The text outlines a framework defining each ideology in terms of the four functions ideologies performs — explanation, evaluation, orientation, and political program — allowing students to compare, contrast, and analyze the various ideologies, developing their own unique views and critical thinking skills.

New to this Edition

A new co-author, Jennet Kirkpatrick, recognized for her teaching and scholarship in political theory, feminist theory, and resistance.

Chapter 2; updated material on voter suppression and populism.

Chapter 3; expanded discussion of the relationship between Adam Smith’s moral and economic theories; how John Stuart Mill’s views on free speech might apply to contemporary controversies; differences between John Rawls and Robert Nozick, and between neoclassical and welfare liberals more generally. Updated; discussion of the “Great Recession” and broader issues of economic inequality.

Chapter 4; extended discussion of Edmund Burke’s place within the conservative tradition. Updated; assessment of contemporary conservatism in light of Donald Trump’s presidency; new section on Christian Nationalism.

Chapter 5; extended discussion of Marx’s theory of history.

Chapter 6; updated the status of the socialist and communist traditions in China, Russia, and the United States.

Chapter 7; charted the resurgence of far right and neo-fascist politics in Europe. Discussion of the “Alt-Right” in the United States has been expanded, including new sections on QAnon and the “Great Replacement” theory. Also expanded upon; discussion of whether fascism could gain serious traction in the United States, and a new section on the reasons why some critics say Donald Trump is either a fascist, or dangerously close to becoming one.

Chapter 8; updated sections on Black liberation and feminism, including reference to George Floyd’s murder and the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. Also, new material on settler colonialism and on the issues for all liberation ideologies raised by the case of undocumented immigrants, and extended discussion of liberation theology.

Chapter 9; updated material on the severity of the climate crisis, and the variety of responses that have emerged to address it.

Chapter 10; a new section on Hamas, and extended discussion of protests against Islamist rule in Iran focusing on the responses to Mahsa Amini’s death in police custody. Also updated; sections on ISIS and the Taliban in light of the former’s erosion and the latter’s return to power, in addition to references to internecine conflicts among radical Islamists.

Chapter 11; updated reasons for the conclusion that there will be no end of ideological conflicts soon, especially with the continued power of religious worldviews, globalization, and---perhaps most especially---the return of fascism worldwide.

Table of Contents

Part 1. Ideology and Democracy 1. Ideology and Ideologies 2. The Democratic Ideal Part 2. The Development of Political Ideologies 3. Liberalism 4. Conservatism 5. Socialism and Communism: From More to Marx 6. Socialism and Communism After Marx 7. Fascism Part 3. Political Ideologies: Today and Tomorrow 8. Liberation Ideologies and the Politics of Identity 9. "Green" Politics: Ecology as Ideology 10. Radical Islamism 11. Postscript: The Future of Ideology

"This fine study explores the compatibilities and tensions between rule by the people and the rule of law. Grounded in history, it offers a rich and articulate analysis of actual violent conflicts. Informed by political theory, it provides a sophisticated and timely reflection on manifestations of conflicts of values in American democracy and their implications for liberal justice and politics."--Marianne Constable, University of California, Berkeley

"Jennet Kirkpatrick has done something quite remarkable in this book. She has taken a set of unsavory characters--vigilantes, members of lynch mobs, and far-right militiamen--studied their arguments, and placed them within the tradition of political theory. She demonstrates that understanding is the necessary prelude to criticism. And she adds militant abolitionists to the mix so that we can't resist the demonstration. The result is a wonderfully illuminating argument."--Michael Walzer, professor emeritus, Institute for Advanced Study

"Kirkpatrick has written a wonderful book--thoughtful, provocative, elegant, and unexpected. She begins with a jolting historical point: the United States has a long history of domestic terrorists. These are not revolutionaries seeking to overthrow the American regime but rather men and women pursuing democratic ideals and, as they see it, the promises made by the Constitution itself. This is an important book."--James A. Morone, author of "Hellfire Nation: The Politics of Sin in American History"

"Kirkpatrick presents a clear and important argument, namely that the wish for an immediate and coherent connection between the moral values or will of any group and what the law says or does is dangerousand ultimately incompatible with democratic politics. "Uncivil Disobedience" is an intriguing study of the origins and philosophies of violent citizen action groups in the United States."--Austin Sarat, Amherst College

"An outstanding piece of scholarship. Kirkpatrick refers to the 'dangerous potential of democratic ideas.' This is a very apt phrase, and it is an expression of what she explores in this very original and thought-provoking book. Kirkpatrick is not at all hostile to American democracy, but she is very alert to its pitfalls. She is a social scientist in the best sense of the term."--Richard Maxwell Brown, University of Oregon

Successful democracies rely on an active citizenry. They require citizens to participate by voting, serving on juries, and running for office. But what happens when those citizens purposefully opt out of politics? Exit-the act of leaving-is often thought of as purely instinctual, a part of the human ""fight or flight"" response, or, alternatively, motivated by an anti-participatory, self-centered impulse. However, in this eye-opening book, Jennet Kirkpatrick argues that the concept of exit deserves closer scrutiny. She names and examines several examples of political withdrawal, from Thoreau decamping to Walden to slaves fleeing to the North during the Civil War. In doing so, Kirkpatrick not only explores what happens when people make the decision to remove themselves, but also expands our understanding of exit as a political act, illustrating how political systems change in the aftermath of actual or threatened departure. Moreover, she reframes the decision to refuse to play along-whether as a fugitive slave, a dissident who is exiled but whose influence remains, or a government in exile-as one that shapes political discourse, historically and today.