Jennet Kirkpatrick – författare

Uncivil Disobedience examines the roles violence and terrorism have played in the exercise of democratic ideals in America. Jennet Kirkpatrick explores how crowds, rallying behind the principle of popular sovereignty and desiring to make law conform to justice, can disdain law and engage in violence. She exposes the hazards of democracy that arise when citizens seek to control government directly, and demonstrates the importance of laws and institutions as limitations on the will of the people. Kirkpatrick looks at some of the most explosive instances of uncivil disobedience in American history: the contemporary militia movement, Southern lynch mobs, frontier vigilantism, and militant abolitionism. She argues that the groups behind these violent episodes are often motivated by admirable democratic ideas of popular power and autonomy. Kirkpatrick shows how, in this respect, they are not so unlike the much-admired adherents of nonviolent civil disobedience, yet she reveals how those who engage in violent disobedience use these admirable democratic principles as a justification for terrorism and killing.She uses a "bottom-up" analysis of events to explain how this transformation takes place, paying close attention to what members of these groups do and how they think about the relationship between citizens and the law. Uncivil Disobedience calls for a new vision of liberal democracy where the rule of the people and the rule of law are recognized as fundamental ideals, and where neither is triumphant or transcendent.

Ideals and Ideologies: A Reader is a comprehensive compilation of classic and contemporary readings representing all major “isms.” It offers students a generous sampling of key thinkers in different ideological traditions and places them in their historical and political contexts. Used on its own or with Political Ideologies and the Democratic Ideal, the anthology accounts for the different ways people use ideology and conveys the continuing importance of ideas to politics.New to this editionThe twelfth edition includes the following additions:Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, “How Democracies Die” (two distinguished political scientists delineate the sources of democratic demise).Ayn Rand, “Collectivized Ethics” (a well-known libertarian thinker argues that it is illegitimate for governments to legally mandate behavior that benefits other people).Patrick Deneen, “Aristopopulism” (an influential conservative professor makes the case for a new kind of governing alliance between masses and elites).Herbert Marcuse, “One-Dimensional Man” (a renowned twentieth-century Marxist argues that capitalism creates a set of false needs and beliefs that prevent workers from resisting it)“Patriot Front Manifesto” (an Alt-Right white nationalist group attempts to link their ideology to American history and values)Ta-Nehisi Coates, “The Case for Reparations” (a prominent author argues that Americans should seriously consider what it would take to make amends to Black people for the ongoing effects of slavery, Jim Crow, and other forms of discrimination)Kate Manne, “Ameliorating Misogyny” (a contemporary feminist philosopher redefines misogyny as the central mechanism for governing women’s behavior and upholding patriarchy)Lorna Bracewell, “A Story of Queer Survival” (a lesbian feminist scholar links her personal coming-of-age experiences to the central beliefs of the gay liberation movement)Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, “Waking up from the American Dream” (a Harvard graduate and author who came to the United States as an undocumented immigrant describes the challenges faced by people who do not have the rights and privileges of full citizenship)Pope Francis, “Laudate Deum” (the leader of 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide describes how he believes they, and other people of goodwill, should respond to the increasingly urgent climate crisis)Dave Foreman, “In Defense of Monkeywrenching” (a leading radical environmentalist defends non-violent ecological sabotage as morally and politically legitimate)Sayyid Abu’l-A‘la Mawdudi, “The Islamic Law” (a highly influential South Asian Islamist thinker defines and defends the necessity of shari-‘a for Muslim societies)Hamas, “Charter of the Islamic Resistance Movement of Palestine” (a leading radical Islamist group spells out its core tenets and basic aims at its founding)

Ideals and Ideologies: A Reader is a comprehensive compilation of classic and contemporary readings representing all major “isms.” It offers students a generous sampling of key thinkers in different ideological traditions and places them in their historical and political contexts. Used on its own or with Political Ideologies and the Democratic Ideal, the anthology accounts for the different ways people use ideology and conveys the continuing importance of ideas to politics.New to this editionThe twelfth edition includes the following additions:Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, “How Democracies Die” (two distinguished political scientists delineate the sources of democratic demise).Ayn Rand, “Collectivized Ethics” (a well-known libertarian thinker argues that it is illegitimate for governments to legally mandate behavior that benefits other people).Patrick Deneen, “Aristopopulism” (an influential conservative professor makes the case for a new kind of governing alliance between masses and elites).Herbert Marcuse, “One-Dimensional Man” (a renowned twentieth-century Marxist argues that capitalism creates a set of false needs and beliefs that prevent workers from resisting it)“Patriot Front Manifesto” (an Alt-Right white nationalist group attempts to link their ideology to American history and values)Ta-Nehisi Coates, “The Case for Reparations” (a prominent author argues that Americans should seriously consider what it would take to make amends to Black people for the ongoing effects of slavery, Jim Crow, and other forms of discrimination)Kate Manne, “Ameliorating Misogyny” (a contemporary feminist philosopher redefines misogyny as the central mechanism for governing women’s behavior and upholding patriarchy)Lorna Bracewell, “A Story of Queer Survival” (a lesbian feminist scholar links her personal coming-of-age experiences to the central beliefs of the gay liberation movement)Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, “Waking up from the American Dream” (a Harvard graduate and author who came to the United States as an undocumented immigrant describes the challenges faced by people who do not have the rights and privileges of full citizenship)Pope Francis, “Laudate Deum” (the leader of 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide describes how he believes they, and other people of goodwill, should respond to the increasingly urgent climate crisis)Dave Foreman, “In Defense of Monkeywrenching” (a leading radical environmentalist defends non-violent ecological sabotage as morally and politically legitimate)Sayyid Abu’l-A‘la Mawdudi, “The Islamic Law” (a highly influential South Asian Islamist thinker defines and defends the necessity of shari-‘a for Muslim societies)Hamas, “Charter of the Islamic Resistance Movement of Palestine” (a leading radical Islamist group spells out its core tenets and basic aims at its founding)

Now in its twelfth edition, Political Ideologies and the Democratic Ideal continues the book's tradition of offering a clear, concise, and comprehensive introduction to the ideas and ideals that shake and shape our political world. The text outlines a framework defining each ideology in terms of the four functions ideologies performs — explanation, evaluation, orientation, and political program — allowing students to compare, contrast, and analyze the various ideologies, developing their own unique views and critical thinking skills.New to this EditionA new co-author, Jennet Kirkpatrick, recognized for her teaching and scholarship in political theory, feminist theory, and resistance.Chapter 2; updated material on voter suppression and populism.Chapter 3; expanded discussion of the relationship between Adam Smith’s moral and economic theories; how John Stuart Mill’s views on free speech might apply to contemporary controversies; differences between John Rawls and Robert Nozick, and between neoclassical and welfare liberals more generally. Updated; discussion of the “Great Recession” and broader issues of economic inequality.Chapter 4; extended discussion of Edmund Burke’s place within the conservative tradition. Updated; assessment of contemporary conservatism in light of Donald Trump’s presidency; new section on Christian Nationalism.Chapter 5; extended discussion of Marx’s theory of history.Chapter 6; updated the status of the socialist and communist traditions in China, Russia, and the United States.Chapter 7; charted the resurgence of far right and neo-fascist politics in Europe. Discussion of the “Alt-Right” in the United States has been expanded, including new sections on QAnon and the “Great Replacement” theory. Also expanded upon; discussion of whether fascism could gain serious traction in the United States, and a new section on the reasons why some critics say Donald Trump is either a fascist, or dangerously close to becoming one.Chapter 8; updated sections on Black liberation and feminism, including reference to George Floyd’s murder and the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. Also, new material on settler colonialism and on the issues for all liberation ideologies raised by the case of undocumented immigrants, and extended discussion of liberation theology.Chapter 9; updated material on the severity of the climate crisis, and the variety of responses that have emerged to address it.Chapter 10; a new section on Hamas, and extended discussion of protests against Islamist rule in Iran focusing on the responses to Mahsa Amini’s death in police custody. Also updated; sections on ISIS and the Taliban in light of the former’s erosion and the latter’s return to power, in addition to references to internecine conflicts among radical Islamists.Chapter 11; updated reasons for the conclusion that there will be no end of ideological conflicts soon, especially with the continued power of religious worldviews, globalization, and---perhaps most especially---the return of fascism worldwide.

Now in its twelfth edition, Political Ideologies and the Democratic Ideal continues the book's tradition of offering a clear, concise, and comprehensive introduction to the ideas and ideals that shake and shape our political world. The text outlines a framework defining each ideology in terms of the four functions ideologies performs — explanation, evaluation, orientation, and political program — allowing students to compare, contrast, and analyze the various ideologies, developing their own unique views and critical thinking skills.New to this EditionA new co-author, Jennet Kirkpatrick, recognized for her teaching and scholarship in political theory, feminist theory, and resistance.Chapter 2; updated material on voter suppression and populism.Chapter 3; expanded discussion of the relationship between Adam Smith’s moral and economic theories; how John Stuart Mill’s views on free speech might apply to contemporary controversies; differences between John Rawls and Robert Nozick, and between neoclassical and welfare liberals more generally. Updated; discussion of the “Great Recession” and broader issues of economic inequality.Chapter 4; extended discussion of Edmund Burke’s place within the conservative tradition. Updated; assessment of contemporary conservatism in light of Donald Trump’s presidency; new section on Christian Nationalism.Chapter 5; extended discussion of Marx’s theory of history.Chapter 6; updated the status of the socialist and communist traditions in China, Russia, and the United States.Chapter 7; charted the resurgence of far right and neo-fascist politics in Europe. Discussion of the “Alt-Right” in the United States has been expanded, including new sections on QAnon and the “Great Replacement” theory. Also expanded upon; discussion of whether fascism could gain serious traction in the United States, and a new section on the reasons why some critics say Donald Trump is either a fascist, or dangerously close to becoming one.Chapter 8; updated sections on Black liberation and feminism, including reference to George Floyd’s murder and the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. Also, new material on settler colonialism and on the issues for all liberation ideologies raised by the case of undocumented immigrants, and extended discussion of liberation theology.Chapter 9; updated material on the severity of the climate crisis, and the variety of responses that have emerged to address it.Chapter 10; a new section on Hamas, and extended discussion of protests against Islamist rule in Iran focusing on the responses to Mahsa Amini’s death in police custody. Also updated; sections on ISIS and the Taliban in light of the former’s erosion and the latter’s return to power, in addition to references to internecine conflicts among radical Islamists.Chapter 11; updated reasons for the conclusion that there will be no end of ideological conflicts soon, especially with the continued power of religious worldviews, globalization, and---perhaps most especially---the return of fascism worldwide.

Successful democracies rely on an active citizenry. They require citizens to participate by voting, serving on juries, and running for office. But what happens when those citizens purposefully opt out of politics? Exit—the act of leaving—is often thought of as purely instinctual, a part of the human ""fight or flight"" response, or, alternatively, motivated by an anti-participatory, self-centered impulse. However, in this eye-opening book, Jennet Kirkpatrick argues that the concept of exit deserves closer scrutiny. She names and examines several examples of political withdrawal, from Thoreau decamping to Walden to slaves fleeing to the North during the Civil War. In doing so, Kirkpatrick not only explores what happens when people make the decision to remove themselves, but also expands our understanding of exit as a political act, illustrating how political systems change in the aftermath of actual or threatened departure. Moreover, she reframes the decision to refuse to play along—whether as a fugitive slave, a dissident who is exiled but whose influence remains, or a government in exile—as one that shapes political discourse, historically and today.