A Democratic Bearing: Admirable Citizens, Uneven Injustice, and Critical Theory

Description

In this rich analysis of the changing ideals of citizenship, Stephen K. White offers a path for the renewal of democratic life in the twenty-first century. Looking beyond passive notions of citizenship defined in terms of voting or passport possession, White seeks a more aspirational portrait, both participatory and inclusive, that challenges citizens, especially in the middle class, to confront power structures to achieve greater justice. Using the Tea Party and followers of Donald Trump as foils, he shows how these groups' resentful and exclusivist conceptions of active citizenship undermine democratic aspirations. White explores how such deleterious influence might be effectively engaged by a robust counter-conception on the democratic left. The book makes this aspirational ideal conceptually clear, normatively compelling and aesthetically attractive.

Stephen K. White is the James Hart Professor of Politics at the University of Virginia. He is the former editor of Political Theory, and has written widely on critical social and democratic theory.

'The volume requires an extensive understanding of political theory but is a rewarding read.' R. A. Harper, Choice