Civil Society: The Underpinnings of American Democracy (Civil Society: Hist orical and Contemporary Perspectives)

US: Tufts, 1999. Very Good. Edward Gibbon said of the ancient Athenians, "when the freedom they wished for most was freedom from responsibility, then Athens ceased to be free." America is the longest-lived democracy in the history of the world, but the re are signs that our own extraordinary system faces a similar peril. A vib rant civil society, characterized by active citizen participation, is essen tial to a strong democracy, argues Brian O'Connell, and in his new book he offers a citizen's guide to this concept of civil society -- what it is, ho w it functions, its limitations and potential, and most importantly, what i ndividuals can do to nurture and support it. It is designed to provide prac tical understanding and foster action among community and national leaders, including mayors, civic leaders, school boards, public administrators, ind ependent sector leaders, scholars, and teachers. Civil Society explores the idea and the reality of citizen participation, i ncluding government's essential responsibility to preserve the freedoms tha t allow and encourage it. It also traces the contemporary weakening of this tradition as a result of indifference, selfishness, loss of confidence in government, governmental limits on citizen participation, the influence of special interests on elected officials, separation between the haves and ha ve nots, intolerance and incivility. Founding president of INDEPENDENT SECTOR and first chairman of CIVICUS: Wor ld Alliance for Citizen Participation, Brian O'Connell draws on his extensi ve practical experience of civil society to outline concrete actions that c an improve the prospects of an enduring democracy, including:.