Christopher F. Karpowitz - Böcker

Individualism is a quintessential American value, manifesting in emphases on hard work and economic independence. But there is another key aspect to individualism: moral autonomy, which must be understood in the context of an individual's relationship to authority.The Politics of Individualism emphasizes the importance of moral autonomy by examining the relationship between autonomy, the self, and institutions. Political scientists Christopher F. Karpowitz and Kelly D. Patterson examine the conceptual dimensions of individualism, introduce a new empirical measure they call "moral individualism," and evaluate its relationship to civic life. Their analysis shows that people who score highly on the moral individualism scale are less likely to commit to public goods and to engage in collective efforts to alleviate common problems--like a pandemic. In light of this finding, Karpowitz and Patterson assess the danger that moral individualism may pose to the maintenance of democratic institutions and the common goals and beliefs that help bind a nation together.

Individualism is a quintessential American value, manifesting in emphases on hard work and economic independence. But there is another key aspect to individualism: moral autonomy, which must be understood in the context of an individual's relationship to authority.The Politics of Individualism emphasizes the importance of moral autonomy by examining the relationship between autonomy, the self, and institutions. Political scientists Christopher F. Karpowitz and Kelly D. Patterson examine the conceptual dimensions of individualism, introduce a new empirical measure they call "moral individualism," and evaluate its relationship to civic life. Their analysis shows that people who score highly on the moral individualism scale are less likely to commit to public goods and to engage in collective efforts to alleviate common problems--like a pandemic. In light of this finding, Karpowitz and Patterson assess the danger that moral individualism may pose to the maintenance of democratic institutions and the common goals and beliefs that help bind a nation together.

Since partisanship has become a powerful force in the U.S., academic literature is replete with different approaches to this complex, multifaceted topic. Reconsidering Parties and Partisanship brings together prominent scholars working on issues related to parties and partisanship for a collection of essays on how American partisanship is shifting and changing in the 21st century. This volume pushes readers to re-evaluate their understanding of the role of parties and partisanship in contemporary politics and offers a helpful set of analyses and tools for understanding the key features of the partisan environment in which the nation finds itself. The scholars here approach parties from the standpoint of partisan and social identities, polarization, the prevalence of independents (and pseudo-independents), political campaigns, and more. In linking the different faces or levels—party-in-the-electorate, party-in-government, and party-as-an-organization—the chapters provide a wide-ranging set of theories and ideas to consider. Through this exploration, Reconsidering Parties and Partisanship provides a valuable road map for partisanship in our current era. Readers will learnHow conditional party government seems to work in this highly partisan era How donors and pressure groups have taken ownership over campaigns How independents are often undercover partisans, but who also feel repelled by the existing parties—even the one they typically support How various identities converge to produce partisan affection (when that exists) How partisanship relates to ideology.

Since partisanship has become a powerful force in the U.S., academic literature is replete with different approaches to this complex, multifaceted topic. Reconsidering Parties and Partisanship brings together prominent scholars working on issues related to parties and partisanship for a collection of essays on how American partisanship is shifting and changing in the 21st century. This volume pushes readers to re-evaluate their understanding of the role of parties and partisanship in contemporary politics and offers a helpful set of analyses and tools for understanding the key features of the partisan environment in which the nation finds itself. The scholars here approach parties from the standpoint of partisan and social identities, polarization, the prevalence of independents (and pseudo-independents), political campaigns, and more. In linking the different faces or levels—party-in-the-electorate, party-in-government, and party-as-an-organization—the chapters provide a wide-ranging set of theories and ideas to consider. Through this exploration, Reconsidering Parties and Partisanship provides a valuable road map for partisanship in our current era. Readers will learnHow conditional party government seems to work in this highly partisan era How donors and pressure groups have taken ownership over campaigns How independents are often undercover partisans, but who also feel repelled by the existing parties—even the one they typically support How various identities converge to produce partisan affection (when that exists) How partisanship relates to ideology.

Do women participate in and influence meetings equally with men? Does gender shape how a meeting is run and whose voices are heard? The Silent Sex shows how the gender composition and rules of a deliberative body dramatically affect who speaks, how the group interacts, the kinds of issues the group takes up, whose voices prevail, and what the group ultimately decides. It argues that efforts to improve the representation of women will fall short unless they address institutional rules that impede women's voices. Using groundbreaking experimental research supplemented with analysis of school boards, Christopher Karpowitz and Tali Mendelberg demonstrate how the effects of rules depend on women's numbers, so that small numbers are not fatal with a consensus process, but consensus is not always beneficial when there are large numbers of women. Men and women enter deliberative settings facing different expectations about their influence and authority.Karpowitz and Mendelberg reveal how the wrong institutional rules can exacerbate women's deficit of authority while the right rules can close it, and, in the process, establish more cooperative norms of group behavior and more generous policies for the disadvantaged. Rules and numbers have far-reaching implications for the representation of women and their interests. Bringing clarity and insight to one of today's most contentious debates, The Silent Sex provides important new findings on ways to bring women's voices into the conversation on matters of common concern.

Innovative forums that integrate citizen deliberation into policy making are revitalizing democracy in many places around the world. Yet controversy abounds over whether these forums ought to be seen as authentic sources of public opinion and how they should fit with existing political institutions. How can civic forums include less powerful citizens and ensure that their perspectives are heard on equal terms with more privileged citizens, officials, and policy experts? How can these fragile institutions communicate citizens' policy preferences effectively and legitimately to the rest of the political system? Deliberation, Democracy, and Civic Forums proposes creative solutions for improving equality and publicity, which are grounded in new theories about democratic deliberation, a careful review of research and practice in the field, and several original studies. This book speaks to scholars, practitioners, and sponsors of civic engagement, public management and consultation, and deliberative and participatory democracy.

Innovative forums that integrate citizen deliberation into policy making are revitalizing democracy in many places around the world. Yet controversy abounds over whether these forums ought to be seen as authentic sources of public opinion and how they should fit with existing political institutions. How can civic forums include less powerful citizens and ensure that their perspectives are heard on equal terms with more privileged citizens, officials, and policy experts? How can these fragile institutions communicate citizens' policy preferences effectively and legitimately to the rest of the political system? Deliberation, Democracy, and Civic Forums proposes creative solutions for improving equality and publicity, which are grounded in new theories about democratic deliberation, a careful review of research and practice in the field, and several original studies. This book speaks to scholars, practitioners, and sponsors of civic engagement, public management and consultation, and deliberative and participatory democracy.