Politics for People: Finding a Responsible Public Voice, 2nd Edition (hardback)

People feel disconnected and estranged from their government. They talk about being pushed out of politics by corporate interests and powerful lobbyists. Against this growing tide of cynicism and anger about their government and other public institutions, and even doubts about their fellow citizens, how can people become politically engaged? How can they build civic communities and generate the political energy to express the public will? Politics for People argues that professional partisan politics must be leavened with public dialogue. Drawing on the practical experience of a wide variety of civic groups, David Mathews explores how individuals and communities can create a politics relevant to their everyday lives. This second edition of Mathews’ book includes a new chapter on the National Issues Forums, convened in settings ranging from libraries to churches to prisons to factories to promote greater public involvement in politics.

David Mathews, secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare in the Ford administration and a former president of The University of Alabama, is president of the Charles F. Kettering Foundation.