Gives an extensive overview of American life and democracy today, along with ideas for improvement—including putting the common good above greed and competition and providing for the disabled and disadvantaged.
These ideas for achieving a more just society are backed up by a wealth of quotes from the political philosophers and writers who influenced our founding fathers in writing the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, as well as those who have since helped shape our democracy.
Provides a . . . multidisciplinary prognosis of American democracy . . . Rarely cast in overtly partisan language . . . An eclectic amalgam of theory and empirical observation, investigating the behavior, character, culture and mores of Americans in light of the beliefs they profess and the institutions they construct. It’s a conspicuously ambitious effort . . . Impressive in . . . comprehensiveness.
The Future of Democracy in America and the World: A Few Possibilities goes much beyond that: it is a compass for . . . voters . . .
Even as it records the words of wisdom of such American thinkers as Thomas Paine, the work reminds the nation of the equally potent message of another national political voice: Hubert H. Humphrey.
It would be uplifting to see the contenders for the Oval Office, and their advocates, invoke such giants of the recent past as they endeavor to explain—and suggest solutions for—all the daunting, and decisively draining, challenges of the day: stagnant wages; equal pay; a runaway decline of the middle class . . .
I like [the] style . . . going right to the heart of the matter . . . All [the] chapters get right into the issues without a lot of scenery . . . Good stuff!
It is thought-provoking, well-written, and well-supported . . . Commentary on music: its origin and significance, is fascinating and important. Examining culture reveals much about U.S. democracy and the individual and/or group experience.