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★★★ 21 ★★★ The Civic Foundations of American Democracy Chapter 2 The Civic Foundations of American Democracy Beth Stark ★★★ I n 2001 the New York City chapter of the League of Women Voters was about to shut its doors. A declining and aging membership , along with dwindling funds, had nearly done in the organization. Now, thanks to a few dedicated members and an article in the New York Times, the city’s League is enjoying a reprieve. The road back to its former strength is long and uncertain, however. Such a story could be told about many of the organizations that have traditionally constituted American civic culture. Similar evidence, both empirical and anecdotal, is receiving intense scrutiny because of the implications of such a trend for the health and integrity of American democracy. Clubs such as the League of Women Voters have long served as the lynchpin of participatory politics in this country. Its members are concerned about their community; many are active in their churches and synagogues , belong to other clubs, and use their contacts to get things done. Through their involvement in the League , they have learned about city politics, studied issues, influenced government, and worked to encourage the education and participation of their fellow New York City residents. This chapter examines the meaning of civic life in a democracy and its potential benefits for democratic institutions of governance . It begins with an explanation of the concept of civil society and how, at its best, it supports and strengthens the participatory nature of our political system. First, Americans ’ civic ties help to integrate them into their communities, while increasing their resources and inclination for political engagement . As an example, I look specifically at how membership in a religious organization plays this important role. Second, civil society enhances the quality of political representation by providing a location for citizens to coordinate action and acquire power. Finally , to understand how these benefits can be realized we must determine which characteristics of association activity are most productive and how civil society itself can be sustained and improved. The democratic political principles we value cannot flourish without the social practices that support them. The achievement of liberty, equality, and the collective good must be based on a foundation of trust, cooperation , and consent. A democracy cannot survive unless its citizens feel that they can affect their system of government and see their preferences enacted. A robust civil society cultivates the political integration and responsive representation this system of government requires. The Concept of Civil Society and Its Benefits When Americans come together for the sake of mutual interests or shared goals, the foundations for healthy democracy are formed. The ties that are fashioned among citizens as a result of association generate benefits for P A R T I : D E M O C R AT I C T H E O R Y ★★★ 22 ★★★ members within the clubhouse and for society beyond. This phenomenon was the subject of Alexis de Tocqueville’s writing in Democracy in America, and in the decades since it has prompted renewed awareness of the key role of associations as the origin of many of our democratic tendencies and practices. Americans take an interest in their neighbors ’ well-being because they understand that their prosperity is bound together. This phenomenon , Tocqueville writes, is “self-interest rightly understood,” and the partnership it forms among citizens is the key to democracy’s success. Self-interest rightly understood can be realized only in meeting with the “other”—coming face to face with those to whom one’s fate is tied—and this coming together requires involvement in local life. Although democratic institutions may provide for political liberty and equality, they cannot by themselves create the cooperation among citizens that is necessary for successful governing. In fact, liberty and equality can lead citizens to individualism and, in turn, to isolation and disengagement. Without an active citizenry, democracy becomes susceptible to despotism and risks failure. Tocqueville claims that the organizations that structure local life solve democracy’s problem of isolation, bringing citizens to act together and depend on one another (Tocqueville 1988, 511). As citizens work for common causes, they meet their neighbors and form ties and obligations. According to self-interest rightly understood in a democracy , not only does each citizen regard the prosperity of the nation as his or her own work, he or she understands that the welfare of each citizen is linked to that of other citizens (Tocqueville 1988, 237). Therefore...

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