Forced to Bowl Alone?

The Nation, p. 25, February 2003

5 Pages Posted: 14 Dec 2009

Date Written: February 10, 2003

Abstract

The state of civic participation in the U.S. is the subject of much hand-wringing. The lament is generally that citizens are withdrawn - that civic life is less vibrant than it once was and should be. This book review welcomes Downsizing Democracy: How America Sidelined its Citizens and Privatized its Public, by Matthew Crenson & Benjamin Ginsburg (2002), as an alternative to the tendency to blame citizens for the current malaise. Crenson & Ginsburg make the case that the government itself has disinvited civic participation in several key ways. The author observes that, notwithstanding this lack of invitation, citizens can and should still take on themselves the responsibility for civic action - not just in traditional political spheres, but in the myriad venues of our everyday lives.

Keywords: civic participation, book review, Downsizing Democracy, inreach, civic engagement, social capital

JEL Classification: K10, K30

Suggested Citation

Strand, Palma Joy, Forced to Bowl Alone? (February 10, 2003). The Nation, p. 25, February 2003, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1520641

Palma Joy Strand (Contact Author)

Marquette University Law School ( email )

1215 W. Michigan St.
Milwaukee, WI 53233
United States

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