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Democracy in Suburbia.
Suburbanization is often blamed for a loss of civic engagement in contemporary America. How justified is this claim? Just what is a suburb? How do social environments shape civic life? Looking beyond popular stereotypes, Democracy in Suburbia answers these questions by examining how suburbs influence citizen participation in community and public affairs. Eric Oliver offers a rich, engaging account of what suburbia means for American democracy and, in doing so, speaks to the heart of widespread debate on the health of our civil society.
Applying an innovative, unusually rigorous mode of statistical analysis to a wealth of unique survey and census data, Oliver argues that suburbs, by institutionalizing class and racial differences with municipal boundaries, transform social conflicts between citizens into ones between political institutions. In reducing the incentives for individual political participation, suburbanization has negated the benefits of ''small town'' government and deprived metropolitan areas of valuable civic capacity. This ultimately increases prospects of serious social conflict.
Oliver concludes that we must reconfigure suburban governments to allow seemingly intractable issues of common metropolitan concern to surface in local politics rather than be ignored as cross-jurisdictional. And he believes this is possible without sacrifice of local government's advantages. Scholars and students of political science, sociology, and urban affairs will prize this book for its striking findings, its revealing scrutiny of the commonplace, and its insights into how the pursuit of the American dream may be imperiling American democracy.
Applying an innovative, unusually rigorous mode of statistical analysis to a wealth of unique survey and census data, Oliver argues that suburbs, by institutionalizing class and racial differences with municipal boundaries, transform social conflicts between citizens into ones between political institutions. In reducing the incentives for individual political participation, suburbanization has negated the benefits of ''small town'' government and deprived metropolitan areas of valuable civic capacity. This ultimately increases prospects of serious social conflict.
Oliver concludes that we must reconfigure suburban governments to allow seemingly intractable issues of common metropolitan concern to surface in local politics rather than be ignored as cross-jurisdictional. And he believes this is possible without sacrifice of local government's advantages. Scholars and students of political science, sociology, and urban affairs will prize this book for its striking findings, its revealing scrutiny of the commonplace, and its insights into how the pursuit of the American dream may be imperiling American democracy.
- GenresPolitical Science
312 pages, Paperback
First published August 13, 2001
About the author
J. Eric Oliver
8 books13 followersEric Oliver is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, and studies American politics, public opinion, political psychology, local politics, racial attitudes, and the politics of science.
His current research examines why people believe in conspiracy theories, why liberals and conservatives name their children differently, why 2016 was a populist election, and what is changing in America's democracy.
His latest book, Enchanted America: The Struggle between Reason and Intuition in US Politics (publication in September 2018), argues that the major political divisions in America right now are not between liberals and conservatives, but between "intuitionists" and "rationalists."
His current research examines why people believe in conspiracy theories, why liberals and conservatives name their children differently, why 2016 was a populist election, and what is changing in America's democracy.
His latest book, Enchanted America: The Struggle between Reason and Intuition in US Politics (publication in September 2018), argues that the major political divisions in America right now are not between liberals and conservatives, but between "intuitionists" and "rationalists."
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 25, 2007
Dry. Dry like burnt toast. Dry like Oscar Wilde. Dry like baby powder. But damn if it isn't the best analysis of the impact of suburban living on the quality of democracy.
The central thesis is that suburbs strip away the social networks required for a healthy, functional democracy and replace them with an insular, paranoid, parochial string of minor fiefdoms that breed a sort of extremism of elitists. This system in turn poisons the democratic process since fewer and fewer Americans have an interest in preserving traditional (enlightenment-era) democratic values.
Backed up with data and charts to the hilt, this is an excellent and sobering review of the decline of the concept of a constitutional democracy.
The central thesis is that suburbs strip away the social networks required for a healthy, functional democracy and replace them with an insular, paranoid, parochial string of minor fiefdoms that breed a sort of extremism of elitists. This system in turn poisons the democratic process since fewer and fewer Americans have an interest in preserving traditional (enlightenment-era) democratic values.
Backed up with data and charts to the hilt, this is an excellent and sobering review of the decline of the concept of a constitutional democracy.
August 26, 2007
Smart book.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews