Sondra Myers, Editor, 2002
This book is a comprehensive tool for understanding democracy and the central role that citizens play in making democracy work.
The first section contains texts by distinguished scholars and discussion questions on the basic elements of democracy; the second, using the same format, deals with the obstacles encountered on the way to democracy and strategies for addressing them. The third is an album of civic stories, accounts of civic epiphanies and transformations from around the world. Portions of the book are from the highly acclaimed Democracy is a Discussion handbooks. The book is an all-in-one introduction to both the theory and practice of democracy, aimed at upper-level high school and university students and civic-minded adults in both old and new democracies.
"Even as the number of democracies continues to grow steadily around the world, we must be prepared to strengthen our own understanding and ability to act to preserve this most precious and hard-won political system. Sondra Myers has gathered together some of the world's most important thinkers and actors who are working to make the ideal a reality for all. The Democracy Reader will be a superb place for teachers, students and communities to begin their conversations and their commitment. This book should be in active use in classrooms everywhere." Judith Renyi, Executive Director The NEA Foundation.
About the author
Sondra Myers is a Senior Associate at the University of Maryland's Democracy Collaborative and a Consultant for international, civic and cultural projects. She was previously the Rapoport Democracy Fellow at the Walt Whitman Center for the Culture and Politics of Democracy at Rutgers University.