A Passion for Democracy

by Barber, Benjamin R.

• ISBN13: 9780691050249
• ISBN10: 0691050244
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-03-13
• Publisher: Princeton Univ Pr

Summary

Benjamin Barber is one of America's preeminent political theorists. He has been a significant voice in the continuing debate about the nature and role of democracy in the contemporary world.A Passion for Democracycollects twenty of his most important writings on American democracy. Together they refine his distinctive position in democratic theory. Barber's conception of "strong democracy" contrasts with traditional concepts of "liberal democracy," especially in its emphasis on citizen participation in central issues of public debate. These essays critique the "thin representation" of liberal democracy and buttress the arguments presented in Barber's twelve books, most recently in his well-receivedJihad vs. McWorld: How Globalism and Tribalism Are Re-shaping the World. In these pieces, Barber argues for participatory democracy without dependence on abstract metaphysical foundations, and he stresses the relationship among democracy and civil society, civic education, and culture. A Passion for Democracyis divided into four sections. In the first, "American Theory: Democracy, Liberalism, and Rights," Barber addresses issues of ongoing relevance to today's debates about the roots of participatory democracy, including individualism vs. community, the importance of consent, and the irrelevance of Marxism. Essays in the second section, "American Practice: Leadership, Citizenship, and Censorship" provide a "strong democracy" critique of American democratic practice. "Education for Democracy: Civic Education, Service, and Citizenship" applies Barber's theories to three related topics and includes his much-discussed essay "America Skips School." The final section, "Democracy and Technology: Endless Frontier or End of Democracy?" provides glimpses into a future that technology alone cannot secure for democracy. In his preface, Barber writes: "In these essays ... I have been hard on my country. Like most ardent democrats, I want more for it than it has achieved, despite the fact that it has achieved more than most people have dared to want." This wide-ranging collection displays not only his passion for democracy, but also his unique perspective on issues of abiding importance for the democratic process.

Table of Contents

Preface
Acknowledgments
American Theory: Democracy, Liberalism, and Rights
Liberal Democracy and the Costs of Consent	p. 3
Foundationalism and Democracy	p. 19
Why Democracy Must Be Liberal: An Epitaph for Marxism	p. 31
The Compromised Republic: Public Purposelessness in America	p. 41
The Rights of We the People Are All the Rights There Are	p. 60
Have Rights Gone Wrong? The Reconstruction of Rights	p. 79
American Practice: Leadership, Citizenship, and Censorship
Neither Leaders nor Followers: Citizenship under Strong Democracy	p. 95
Command Performance: Where Have All the Leaders Gone?	p. 111
The Undemocratic Party System: Citizenship in an Elite/Mass Society	p. 119
One Nation Indivisible or a Compact of Sovereign States? The Two Faces of Federalism	p. 134
The Market as Censor in a World of Consumer Totalism	p. 143
Education for Democracy: Civic Education, Service, and Citizenship
Thomas Jefferson and the Education of the Citizen	p. 161
The Civic Mission of the University	p. 178
Service, Citizenship, and Democracy: Civic Duty as an Entailment of Civil Right	p. 187
Cultural Conservatism and Democratic Education: Lessons from the Sixties	p. 203
America Skips School: Why We Talk So Much about Education and Do So Little	p. 214
Education for Democracy	p. 225
Democracy and Technology: Endless Frontier or End of Democracy?
The Second American Revolution	p. 237
Pangloss, Pandora, or Jefferson? Three Scenarios for the Future of Technology and Democracy	p. 245
The New Telecommunications Technology: Endless Frontier or the End of Democracy?	p. 258
Index	p. 283
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