At a time when paralysis plagues professional politics, this fascinating book takes us deep into a parallel universe. Here, under the watchful eyes of professional deliberation managers, citizens negotiate with one another to make the hard choices their elected representatives so often duck. This book reminds us that when governments fail, citizens will seek democracy elsewhere - and that for ... Read moreall the rhetoric of do-it-yourself empowerment, there's no guarantee they'll find it. A mesmerizing and ultimately frightening read.
Fred Turner, author of The Democratic Surround
I have been involved for decades in the field that Caroline Lee insightfully describes and criticizes in this remarkable book. Although I recognize myself in some of its satirical passages, I consider it essential reading for anyone who cares about deliberative democracy and also community service, youth engagement, and other civic practices. We cannot move forward without addressing the shortcomings Lee explores.
Peter Levine, Tufts University
In Do-It-Yourself Democracy, Caroline Lee powerfully demonstrates the often unexpected consequences of deliberative decision making practices. This rich and complex analysis, forcefully argued and elegantly presented, makes important contributions to our understanding of the development of new forms of political engagement as well as to fundamental debates over the democratic character of the modern American state. By illuminating how participatory practices function simultaneously as methods for the containment of dissent and the production of consent, Caroline Lee provides a cautionary tale for the present moment.
Elisabeth S. Clemens, University of Chicago
A fresh and fascinating look at participatory democracy today. As Caroline Lee demonstrates, we've come a long way from the 1960s. Now, the Obama administration supports the efforts, civic leaders endorse them, and corporations underwrite them. Lee gets to the heart of the matter by focusing on the wizards behind the democratic curtain - the professionals who organize participatory events. Do-It-Yourself Democracy is, in turn, idealistic, moving, personal, deeply researched, elegantly written, skeptical, wise, and highly recommended.
James A. Morone, author of The Devils We Know
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