A Dream Deferred: America's Discontent and the Search for a New Democratic Ideal

by Philip Slater (Editor)

While new governments around the world strive for democracy, the United States is becoming increasingly authoritarian and undemocratic. Sociologist Philip Slater shows how Congress-bashing and low voter turnout are symptoms of a larger decline in our faith in the sharing of power and information. He explains what democracy means at a personal level -- at work, in politics, in religion, and at home -- and how some of our most familiar and unquestioned assumptions tend to undermine it. In documenting the costs of American authoritarianism, Slater convincingly demonstrates that democratic processes, however messy and confusing, ultimately yield the most intelligent and flexible responses to a complex world.

224 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1991

About the author

Philip Slater was an author, actor, playwright, and sociologist. He taught sociology at Harvard, Brandeis, and the University of California at Santa Cruz. He obtained a doctorate from Harvard.

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