Voice and Equality: Civic Voluntarism in American Politics - Hardcover

Verba, Sidney; Etc.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0674942922 ISBN 13: 9780674942929

Verlag: Harvard University Press, 1995

Über diesen Titel

Críticas:

The authors have written a splendid and engaging empirical treatise--large-scale social science at its very best--on how social and economic resources influence the extent to which, and the ways in which, people participate in politics and voluntary organizations. -- Robert Y. Shapiro "Political Science Quarterly" This is undoubtedly an important book with revealing findings that contradict some popular assumptions about the health of democracy in the US. Despite the well documented loss of confidence in political institutions and the decline of electoral turnout, Americans continue to participate extensively in both political and non-political organisations. The voice of the people is clear and loud even if some voices are able to demand more attention than others. -- David Mervin "Borderlines" Is American citizenship in crisis? "Yes," say most pundits, not to mention most scholars of contemporary political life. A more nuanced reply appears in this comprehensive study..."Voice and Equality" presents a challenging paradox. On the one hand, the discourse of class is becoming less salient--in a political regime that has never been heavily imbued with the rhetoric of economic inequality. On the other, the state of political participation in America is now such that 'class matters profoundly. -- Sidney M. Milkis "Wilson Quarterly" "Voice and Equality" is a major contribution to understanding patterns of political participation in the United States. First, it advances our knowledge of participation by providing descriptive details about the characteristics of those who engage in a variety of political actions beyond the electoral and campaign activities that can be examined through data collected in the American National Election Studies. Second, models to account for variation in several types of political activity are specified and tested. Third, the effects of participation on representation are assessed. -- M. Margaret Conway "Journal of Politics" The authors of this book have, together and separately, been fruitfully investigating political participation and inequality for years. Juggling a dazzling, mind-boggling array of original survey data, their new work makes the clear case that citizens' experience outside the realm of official politics--experience at home, church, work, school, and 'nonpolitical' voluntary associations--infuses their ability and desire to participate in politics. The ideal image of the public sphere is that it can compensate for inequalities bred elsewhere; this study forcefully shows how public life actually amplifies them...The marvel of this compendium is that it keeps so many questions in the air simultaneously...The book is an extremely rich source of data with many startling, thought-provoking finding. -- Nina Eliasoph "Contemporary Sociology" participate in politics and voluntary organizations. order to witness that progress, as well as to understand the challenges that lie ahead. of economic inequality. On the other, the state of political participation in America is now such that 'class matters profoundly. questions in the air simultaneously...The book is an extremely rich source of data with many startling, thought-provoking finding. Second, models to account for variation in several types of political activity are specified and tested. Third, the effects of participation on representation are assessed.

Reseña del editor:

This book confirms Alexis de Tocqueville's idea, dating back a century and a half, that American democracy is rooted in civil society. Citizens' involvement in family, school, work, voluntary associations, and religion has a significant impact on their participation as voters, campaigners, donors, community activists, and protesters. The authors focus on the central issues of involvement: how people come to be active and the issues they raise when they do. They find fascinating differences along cultural lines, among African-Americans, Latinos, and Anglo-Whites, as well as between the religiously observant and the secular. They observe family activism moving from generation to generation, and they look into the special role of issues that elicit involvement, including abortion rights and social welfare. This far-reaching analysis, based on an original survey of 15,000 individuals, including 2,500 long personal interviews, shows that some individuals have a greater voice in politics than others, and that this inequality results not just from varying inclinations toward activity, but also from unequal access to vital resources such as education. Citizens' voices are especially unequal when participation depends on contributions of money rather than contributions of time. This deeply researched study brilliantly illuminates the many facets of civic consciousness and action and confirms their quintessential role in American democracy.

Über diese Auflage

• Verlag: Harvard University Press
• Erscheinungsdatum: 1995
• ISBN 10: 0674942922
• ISBN 13: 9780674942929
• Einband: Tapa dura
• Anzahl der Seiten: 662