A Democratic Bearing

In this rich analysis of the changing ideals of citizenship, Stephen K. White offers a path for the renewal of democratic life in the twenty-first century. Looking beyond passive notions of citizenship defined in terms of voting or passport possession, White seeks a more aspirational portrait, both participatory and inclusive, that challenges citizens, especially in the middle class, to confront power structures to achieve greater justice. Using the Tea Party and followers of Donald Trump as foils, he shows how these groups' resentful and exclusivist conceptions of active citizenship undermine democratic aspirations. White explores how such deleterious influence might be effectively engaged by a robust counter-conception on the democratic left. The book makes this aspirational ideal conceptually clear, normatively compelling and aesthetically attractive.

• Develops a novel, aspirational conception of democratic citizenship and provides a portrait of how an individual can become more engaged in democratic life
• By presenting a critique of the Tea Party phenomenon, the book helps readers understand the negative effects the group has on democratic life
• Shows that deliberative democracy does not always have the faults often associated with it by developing a theory of deliberative democracy that has a rich account of power