Chpt. 15
The Big Picture:  What Factors Are Most Responsible for America’s Civic Decline

See Figure 79 (p.284)

10%  Time and Money
10%  Suburbinization/Sprawl
25%  Technology/TV
50%  Generational Change
 

Overlap between TV and Generational Change
10-15% TV Generation

What’s causing the generational change??

Why are young people different kinds of citizens than previous generations?

What made previous generations more civic?
 
 

Chpt. 21 Democracy
Oscar Wilde:  “The trouble with socialism is that it would take too many evenings.”

No less for democracy, or democratic socialism for that matter.

Participatory Democracy
Jefferson
1816 letter called for constitutional amendment creating

“wards of such size that every citizen can attend, when called one, and act in person”

“making every citizen an acting member of the government, and in the offices nearest and most interesting to him (sic), will attach him by his strongest feelings to the independence of his country, and its republican constitution.”

e.g. running the schools, caring for the poor, operating police and military forces

examples:  Switzerland, ancient Greek city-states, Italian communal republics
charities, voluntary constabularies, neighborhood watches, volunteer fire departments, national guard

Could this work as a model of citizenship today?  Why or why not?
 

Social Capital in the 50 States – see Figure 80 (p.293)

Political Culture in the 50 States
Elazar

Moralistic – New England, upper Midwest, NW
Individualistic – Mid-Atlantic States, West
Traditional – South
 

People Get the Governments They Deserve
Italian Study

In US:
Highest Levels of Social Capital
Moralistic states have “best” government – most progressive, efficient, issue-based politics

Medium Levels of Social Capital
Individualistic states – stronger parties, professional dominated, focused on economic growth

Lowest Levels of Social Capital
Traditionalistic states – dominated by elites resistant to change
 
 
 

How well does Putnam’s social capital index or Elazar’s political culture typology describe your homestate?  Washington state?