作者简介
ThisbookconfirmstheideaputforthnearlyacenturyandahalfagobyAlexisdeTocqueville,thatAmericandemocracyisrootedincivicvoluntarism--citizens'involvementinfamily,work,school,andreligion,aswellasintheirpoliticalparticipationasvoters,campaigners,protesters,orcommunityactivists.Theauthorsanalyzecivicactivityasnonehavebefore.Theyhavecreatedanoriginalsurveyof15,000individuals,whichincludes2,500personalinterviews,thatfocusesonthecentralissuesofinvolvement:howpeoplecometobeactive,theirmotivations,theirresources,andtheirnetworks.Weseefascinatingdifferencesalongculturallines,amongAfrican-Americans,Latinos,andwhites,aswellasbetweenthereligiouslyobservantandthesecular.Weobservefamilyactivismmovingfromgenerationtogeneration,andlookintothespecialroleofissuesthatelicitinvolvement,includingabortionrightsandsocialwelfare.Thisfar-reachinganalysisconfirmsthatsomeindividualshaveagreatervoiceinpoliticsthanothers,andthatthisinequalitynotonlyresultsfromvaryinginclinationstowardactivity,butalsoreflectsunequalaccesstosuchvitalresourcesasmoneyandeducation.ThisdeeplyresearchedstudyilluminatesthemanyfacetsofcivicconsciousnessandactionandconfirmstheirquintessentialroleinAmericandemocracy.
