Assesses what associations do and don't do for democracy. This book explains how and when associational life expands the domain, inclusiveness, and authenticity of democracy. It looks at which associations are most likely to foster individuals' capacities for democratic citizenship.
"The first political theorist to attempt this sort of comprehensive analysis, Mark Warren takes a welcome, generous view of the democratic consequences of associational life. He defines his purposes carefully and fulfills them admirably. His critical moves are sharp and almost always dead on, and his excellent use of social theory is surprisingly rare among political theorists."--Nancy Rosenblum, Brown University, author of "Membership and Morals: The Personal Uses of Pluralism in America"
"This is a well-organized and executed discussion of a neglected aspect of an important topic. Contemporary political theory is replete with claims about the democratic effects of associational life, but this book is the first attempt to distinguish analytically the various possible democratic effects of associational life and, in particular, to hypothesize how each effect is related to specific forms and instances of associational life. As such, it is an original and genuine contribution to our developing understanding of the associational bases of democratic politics."--Stuart White, Jesus College, Oxford University
"Winner of the Outstanding Book Award, Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action"
