Synopsis
An argument that thin representative liberalism breeds apathy, and that self-government requires active, deliberative citizen participation in shared public life.
Core passage idea
Paraphrase · Modern copyrighted workDemocracy is not merely choosing rulers but citizens governing themselves through ongoing talk, common work, and shared judgment.
It locates legitimacy in participation itself, not just in the periodic act of voting for representatives.
To avoid a bubble
Pair with Carole Pateman, Participation and Democratic Theory.
Reading note
Read it as a normative theory paired with concrete institutional proposals for thickening civic engagement.
Best paired with
Carole Pateman, Participation and Democratic Theory