"Much of what social scientists and other scholars have written about suburban life and politics has not been firmly grounded in empirical research... This deficiency has been partially redressed by political scientist Oliver."
Choice "Eric Oliver's book is a welcome departure from unsubstantiated claims, providing a sophisticated empirical analysis of the impact of social contexts and suburbanization on civic engagement... Democracy ... Read morein Suburbia is an important contribution."
Daniel Rubenson, Political Studies "Oliver demonstrates that strong communities and large accumulations of social capital can actually undermine democracy. Class and racial divisions must be dealt with by our society... [I]t is at the local level that the most creative solutions are forged and that citizens acquire crucial civic skills and democratic values."
Todd Swanstrom, Review of Politics "A remarkable book, literally the first one ever published to present definitive evidence on the crucial issue of the impact of the suburbs on American democracy... It virtually forces the reader to step outside old debates and assumptions and examine anew the consequences of America's preference for fragmented governmental arrangements."
Dennis R. Judd, American Political Science Review Show Less