Civic Power

Rezensionen / Stimmen

'With clarity and panache, this book bridges insights from both academic scholarship and communities of practice. In doing so, it makes a fresh, must-read argument that puts questions of power back into the center of conversations about how we realize the democratic promise in America.' Hahrie Han, SNF Agora Institute, The Johns Hopkins University 'Civic Power challenges us to examine our core assumptions about the attributes of a healthy democracy. An unsparing analysis of how inequality and exclusion warp our politics is coupled with a bracing and uplifting set of positive prescriptions for change. Highly recommended!' Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO of New America 'Civic Power is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the crisis of American democracy and what to do about it. While others critique norms, institutional weakness, media, and racism, Rahman and Russon-Gilman focus on power: where it comes from and whom it serves. The 'exclusionary populism' that fueled President Trump's ascendancy is only the flip side of the disastrous long term atrophy of civic power in America. Civic Power stands out for its relentlessly constructive contributions. From their vast knowledge of the small-'d' democratic landscape across America, they offer numerous inspirational examples of how civic power is built.' Archon Fung, Winthrop Laflin McCormack Professor of Citizenship and Self-Government, Harvard University 'But the hole we are in wasn't dug overnight, and digging out of it will also take time. If people listen to Hersh as well as Rahman and Gilman, maybe at least they will stop digging the hole deeper.' Micah L. Sifry, The American Prospect 'The book provides multiple examples of cities and organizations, in the US and beyond, that have taken on the task of creating meaningful connections among disparate groups, strengthening common bonds beyond one-time political activities toward transformational and sustained political power.' D. C. Downey, Choice