Shutting the Public Out of Politics: Civic Republicanism, Professional Politics, and the Eclipse of Civil Society
In this historical overview of the role of the citizen, R. Claire Snyder, associate professor of government and politics in political theory at George Mason University, examines the elements of, and the causes for, the decline of active citizenship in the United States and the emergence of “professional policymakers.” Snyder advocates public deliberation and civic action as ways for citizens to take back their traditional roles and “force open the door” of American politics.
