The Good Citizen: How a Younger Generation Is Reshaping American Politics - Softcover

Dalton, Russell J.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1506318029 ISBN 13: 9781506318028

Publisher: CQ Press, 2015

Synopsis

This book is not about recreating the halcyon politics of a generation ago, but recognition that new patterns of citizenship call for new processes and new institutions that reflect the values of the contemporary American public. Trends in participation, tolerance, and policy priorities reflect a younger generation that is more engaged, more tolerant, and more supportive of social justice. The Good Citizen shows how a younger generation is creating new norms of citizenship that are leading to a renaissance of democratic participation. An important comparative chapter in the book showcases cross-national comparisons that further demonstrate the vitality of American democracy.

About this title

Review:

“Dalton is one of a small number of people who can present research that provides just enough of a comparative perspective on American problems while also presenting a deeper insight about what is unique about American politics. The Good Citizen is an accessible and optimistic work that fits in well with discussions of political polarization and studies of how younger adults engage in politics.”

(Rob Boatright)

“The Good Citizen’s strengths are in its clarity of presentation, as the material is presented in a straightforward matter that is easy to understand. It is an excellent book with which to teach.” 

(Terri Fine)

“The Good Citizen is the perfect introduction to my class. It focuses on younger people, which gives it a direct relevance to my students. The basic argument of the book is very compelling, and was an important qualifier on the normal ‘youth bashing’ that can often happen with regard to millennials and politics. I highly recommend this book. It will not disappoint.”

(Michael Franz)

“The Good Citizen is a useful introduction to political science and the social science method for students interested in learning about the diversity of approaches to the study of American politics. The book keeps its focus on civic participation, which is critically important today.”

(Robert Schmuhl)

About the Author:

Russell Dalton is a professor at the University of California, Irvine and former director of the Center for the Study of Democracy. His research and teaching focuses on the changing nature of citizen politics in contemporary democracies. He has received a Fulbright Research Fellowship, a German Marshall Fund Fellowship, Barbra Streisand Center Fellowship and POSCO Research Fellowship. He has served on the boards of the American National Election Study, the British Election Study and the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems. Among his recent authored or edited books are The Apartisan American (2012), Political Parties and Democratic Linkage (2011), Citizens, Context and Choice (2011), The Good Citizen (2009), Oxford Handbook of Political Behavior (2007), Citizens, Democracy and Markets around the Pacific Rim (2006), Democratic Challenges, Democratic Choices: The Erosion of Political Support in Advanced Industrial Democracies (2004), Democracy Transformed? The Expansion of Citizen Access in Advanced Industrial Democracies (2003), and Parties without Partisans: Political Change in Advanced Industrial Democracies (co-editor, 2001). He has also appeared in six feature-length Hollywood movies.

About this edition

• Publisher: CQ Press
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1506318029
• ISBN 13: 9781506318028
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 240