Activating the Citizen : Dilemmas of Participation in Europe and Canada

This volume focuses on the manner in which declining citizen involvement affects two key elements of democratic government, elections and political parties. It examines the reasons underlying citizen withdrawal and explores and assesses innovative approaches on both sides of the Atlantic to try to counter these phenomena. In Britain Since The Seventies, Well-known Historian Jeremy Black Examines The Most Recent Developments In British Political, Social, Cultural And Economic History. The Triumph Of Consumerism, The Changing Fortunes Of The Conservative Party, The Rise Of New Labour, Developments In British Society, Culture And Politics, Environmental Issues, Questions Of Identity, And Changes In Economic Circumstance And Direction Are All Examined Here. Iconic Issues Such As Bse, Transport, Asylum Seekers And The Nhs Are Viewed From Both National And International Perspectives. Black's Account Of Contemporary Britain Is That Of A Country In Which Uncertainty, Contingency And Change Are The Defining Features. In Charting The Impact Of Increasing Individualism, Longevity And Secularization, The Author Is Drawn Repeatedly To Examine A Fundamental Paradox Of Modern Britain: At The Start Of Both Century And Millenium, The British Were More Prosperous Than Ever Before, But Happiness Has Not Risen With Prosperity. Britain Since The Seventies Is A Wide-ranging And Cogent Evaluation Of Recent British History, And As Such Will Appeal To All Those Interested In The Condition Of Modern Britain, And How It Came To Be So, As Well As Being An Ideal Introduction For Students Of The Subject.--book Jacket. The Triumph Of Consumerism -- Culture -- Environment Under Strain -- An Ungovernable People? -- From The Three-day Week To The Fall Of Thatcher, 1973-90 -- Changing Directions -- Identities And Roles -- British Questions -- Conclusions. Jeremy Black. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. In Britain since the Seventies, well-known historian Jeremy Black examines the most recent developments in British political, social, cultural and economic history. Taking the triumph of consumerism as an organizing theme, he charts the rise and fall of the Conservative Party, developments in British society, culture and politics, environmental issues, questions of identity, and changes in economic circumstance and direction. Iconic issues such as BSE, transport, asylum seekers and the NHS are viewed from both national and international perspectives. Black's account of contemporary Britain challenges as well as entertains, seeking to engage the reader in the process of interpretation. Through the lens of the last three decades, the author unveils his image of a country in which uncertainty, contingency and change are the defining features. In charting the impact of increasing individualism, longevity and secularization, Black is drawn repeatedly to examine a fundamental paradox of modern Britain:'At the start of both century and millennium, the British were more prosperous than ever before, but... happiness has not risen with prosperity.'Britain since the Seventies is a wide-ranging and cogent evaluation of recent British history, and as such will appeal to all those interested in the condition of modern Britain, and how it came to be so, as well as being an ideal introduction for students of the subject. In Britain since the Seventies , well-known historian Jeremy Black examines the most recent developments in British political, social, cultural and economic history. Taking the triumph of consumerism as an organizing theme, he charts the rise and fall of the Conservative Party, developments in British society, culture and politics, environmental issues, questions of identity, and changes in economic circumstance and direction. Iconic issues such as BSE, transport, asylum seekers and the NHS are viewed from both national and international perspectives. Blacks account of contemporary Britain challenges as well as entertains, seeking to engage the reader in the process of interpretation. Through the lens of the last three decades, the author unveils his image of a country in which uncertainty, contingency and change are the defining features. In charting the impact of increasing individualism, longevity and secularization, Black is drawn repeatedly to examine a fundamental paradox of modern "At the start of both century and millennium, the British were more prosperous than ever before, but . . . happiness has not risen with prosperity." Britain since the Seventies is a wide-ranging and cogent evaluation of recent British history, and as such will appeal to all those interested in the condition of modern Britain, and how it came to be so, as well as being an ideal introduction for students of the subject. "In Britain since the Seventies, well-known historian Jeremy Black examines the most recent developments in British political, social, cultural and economic history. The triumph of consumerism, the changing fortunes of the Conservative Party, the rise of New Labour, developments in British society, culture and politics, environmental issues, questions of identity, and changes in economic circumstance and direction are all examined here. Iconic issues such as BSE, transport, asylum seekers and the NHS are viewed from both national and international perspectives." "Black's account of contemporary Britain is that of a country in which uncertainty, contingency and change are the defining features. In charting the impact of increasing individualism, longevity and secularization, the author is drawn repeatedly to examine a fundamental paradox of modern Britain: At the start of both century and millenium, the British were more prosperous than ever before, but happiness has not risen with prosperity." "Britain since the Seventies is a wide-ranging and cogent evaluation of recent British history, and as such will appeal to all those interested in the condition of modern Britain, and how it came to be so, as well as being an ideal introduction for students of the subject."--Page 4 de la couverture A Real Or Potential 'democratic Deficit' Is Haunting Established Democracies. Declining Levels Of Citizen Participation Affect The Ballot Box, Political Party Membership, And Other Forms Of Civic Activism. So Disturbing Are These Trends That Governments Themselves Have Undertaken Assertive Mobilization Campaigns And Institutional Reforms To Try To Address Them. Activating The Citizen Not Only Examines The Reasons Underlying Citizen Withdrawal, But Also Explores And Assesses Innovative Approaches On Both Sides Of The Atlantic To Try To Counter These Phenomena. Bringing Together Research By Canadian And European Scholars, This Volume Considers Proactive Approaches Such As Changing Political Party Leadership Selection Practices, New Forms Of Civic Education To Engage Youth, Direct Citizen Participation Through Citizens' Assemblies And Referendums, And The Construction Of Issues So As To Elicit Responses In The Name Of 'good Citizenship'. All Of These Political Measures Are Designed To 'activate The Citizen'. Defining The Participation Gap -- Voter Turnout: Understanding The Decline -- Parties As Vehicles Of Participation -- Beyond The Elections And Parties: Innovations In Activating Citizens. Edited By Joan Debardeleben And Jon H. Pammett. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Front Matter....Pages i-xvii Introduction....Pages 1-14 Front Matter....Pages 15-15 Citizen Participation and Democratic Deficits: Considerations from the Perspective of Democratic Theory....Pages 17-40 The Decline of Political Participation: An Empirical Overview of Voter Turnout and Party Membership....Pages 41-59 Front Matter....Pages 61-61 Turnout in Electoral Democracies Revisited....Pages 63-82 Where Turnout Holds Firm: The Scandinavian Exceptions....Pages 83-105 New Members, Old Issues: The Problem of Voter Turnout in European Parliament Elections....Pages 106-127 Front Matter....Pages 129-129 Party Membership and Activism in Comparative Perspective....Pages 131-150 Models of Party Organization and Europarties....Pages 151-172 Grassroots Participation and Party Leadership Selection: Examining the British and Canadian Cases....Pages 173-193 Front Matter....Pages 195-195 Participation and the Good Citizen....Pages 197-213 Institutionalizing Participation through Citizens’ Assemblies....Pages 214-232 Citizen Involvement in Constitutional Politics: European and Canadian Experiences....Pages 233-256 Youth Engagement, Civic Education, and New Vehicles of Political Participation....Pages 257-275 Back Matter....Pages 276-306 The decline of citizen involvement affects two key elements of democratic government: elections and political parties. Activating the Citizen examines the reasons underlying citizen withdrawal and explores and assesses innovative approaches on both sides of the Atlantic to try to counter these phenomena.