Book description
Increasingly a spectator sport, electoral politics have become
bitterly polarized by professional consultants and lobbyists and have
been boiled down to the distributive mantra of "who gets
what." In Everyday Politics, Harry Boyte transcends
partisan politics to offer an alternative. He demonstrates how
community-rooted activities reconnect citizens to engaged, responsible
public life, and not just on election day but throughout the year.
Boyte demonstrates that this type of activism has a rich history and
strong philosophical foundation. It rests on the stubborn faith that
the talents and insights of ordinary citizens-from nursery school to
nursing home-are crucial elements in public life.
Drawing on concrete examples of successful public work projects
accomplished by diverse groups of people across the nation, Boyte
demonstrates how citizens can master essential political skills, such
as understanding issues in public terms, mapping complex issues of
institutional power to create alliances, raising funds, communicating,
and negotiating across lines of difference. He describes how these
skills can be used to address the larger challenges of our time,
thereby advancing a renewed vision of democratic society and freedom
in the twenty-first century.
"As Mark Twain said about the weather, everybody talks about
the need for a new politics of participation and deliberation, but
nobody does anything about it. Harry Boyte has. Through a combination
of experience, political analysis, and philosophy, he shows us how
'everyday politics' can actually improve people's
lives."-Jennifer Hochschild, Harvard University, and editor of
Perspectives on Politics
Harry C. Boyte is founder and codirector of the Center for Democracy
and Citizenship at the University of Minnesota and Senior Fellow at the
Humphrey Institute. He is the author of many books, including The
Backyard Revolution and, with Sara Evans, Free Spaces.
