Democracy's edge: choosing to save our country by bringing democracy to life

Three out of five Americans, both Republicans and Democrats, feel our countryis headed in the wrong direction. America is at the edge, a critical place atwhich we can either renew and revitalize or give in and lose that most precious American ideal—democracy—and along with it the freedom, fairness, and opportunities it assures. Democracy’s Edge is a rousing battle cry that we can—and must—act now. From Jefferson to Eisenhower, presidents from both parties havewarned us of the danger of letting a closed, narrow group of business and government officials concentrate power over our lives. Yet today, a small and unrepresentative group of people is making vital decisions for all of us.But thiscrisis is only a symptom, Lappé argues. It’s a symptom of thin democracy, something done to us or for us, not by or with us. Such democracy is always at risk of being stolen by private interests or extremist groups, left and right. But there is a solution. The answer, says Lappé, is Living Democracy, a powerful yet often invisible citizens’ revolution surging in communities across America. It’s not random, disjointed activism but the emergence of a new historical stage of democracy in which Americans realize that democracy isn’t somethingwe have but something we do. Either we live it or lose it, says Lappé. INDICE: Acknowledgments ixThe Path xiPART ONE Living on Democracy's Edge 1Our journey to the edge and the forces making possible an invisible revolutionof hope1. The Frame 32. The Long Arc 133. Power Is Not a Four-Letter Word 29PART TWO Democracy Growing Up 49Outgrowing four beliefs that stymie us and discovering that power, even corporate power, isn’t so stuck after all4. OurCoat 515. The Elephant 77PART THREE Democracy as a Verb 109It's not what we have, it’s what we do. Americans seize the rewards of self-direction6. Attention 1117. Action 1518. Choice 1839. Voice 219PART FOUR Democracy in Our Bones 249Americans create a culture of empowered, connected people10. Learning 25111. Security 27712. The Invitation 309Two Frames for Democracy 319Toward a Language of Democracy 321Notes 325Entry Points for Living Democracy 405The Author 451Index 453

• ISBN: 978-1-118-43706-3
• Editorial: John Wiley & Sons
• Encuadernacion: Rústica
• Fecha Publicación: 28/04/2012
• Nº Volúmenes: 1
• Idioma: Inglés