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基本説明

Examines the extraordinarily high rates of political nonparticipation in the United States and the political, historical, institutional, and philosophical roots of such widespread apathy.

Full Description

This inclusive study examines the extraordinarily high rates of political nonparticipation in the United States and the political, historical, institutional, and philosophical roots of such widespread apathy. To explain why individuals become committed to political apathy as a political role, Tom DeLuca begins by defining "the two faces of political apathy." The first, rooted in free will, properly places responsibility for nonparticipation in the political process on individuals. Political scientists and journalists, however, too often overlook a second, more insidious face of apathy - a condition created by institutional practices and social and cultural structures that limit participation and political awareness. The public blames our most disenfranchised citizens for their own disenfranchisement. Apathetic citizens blame themselves. DeLuca examines classic and representative explanations of non-participation by political analysts across a range of methodologies and schools of thought. Focusing on their views on the concepts of political power and political participation, he assesses current proposals for reform.He argues that overcoming the second face of apathy requires a strategy of "real political equality," which includes greater equality in the availability of political resources, in setting the political agenda, in clarifying political issues, and in developing a public sphere for more genuine democratic politics. Author note: Tom DeLuca is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Fordham College at Lincoln Center. He has been a long-time activist on local and national issues, especially nuclear arms control, and his op-ed pieces on politics have appeared in The New York Times, New York Newsday, The Nation, and The Progressive.

Contents

Preface Acknowledgments IntroductionNonparticipation Part I: Roots of Apathy 1. Liberalism, Laissez-faire, and Republic 2. Love and Fear of Equality 3. American Political Development 4. The Science of Liberal Politics Part II: Explanations of Nonparticipation 5. The Virtues of Apathy 6. Apolitical Man 7. The Rationality of Apathy 8. Plain Democratic Theory 9. The Subordination of Politics 10. Absolute Apathy 11. Race, Gender, and Explanation Part III: Overcoming Apathy 12. Real People and False Consciousness 13. The Second Face of Apathy 14. The Empirical Basis of Democratic Reform 15. The Ideas Behind Reform Conclusion: Real Political Equality Epilogue: A Time for Democracy Notes Index