The Good Citizen
How a Younger Generation Is Reshaping American Politics
- Russell J. Dalton - University of California, Irvine, USA
“The Good Citizen is the perfect introduction to my class. It focuses on younger people, which gives it a direct relevance to my students. The basic argument of the book is very compelling, and was an important qualifier on the normal ‘youth bashing’ that can often happen with regard to millennials and politics. I highly recommend this book. It will not disappoint.”
—Michael Franz, Bowdoin College
The Good Citizen uses a new 2014 national public opinion survey to describe how Americans’ views of what it means to be a good citizen is changing. Contrary to conventional wisdom, younger generations are more politically engaged, are more politically tolerant, are supportive of a more active government, have stronger democratic ideals, and are more supportive of social justice. The young are creating new norms of citizenship that are leading to a renaissance of democratic participation. The new edition of this groundbreaking work will reshape the way we think about the American public, American youth, and the prospects for contemporary democracy. It uses evidence from the 2004 and 2014 General Social Surveys to describe Americans’ changing citizenship norms, the emergence of the Millennial Generation, how the Internet is changing participation patterns, and a new statistical primer to help students understand the survey findings.
“Dalton is one of a small number of people who can present research that provides just enough of a comparative perspective on American problems while also presenting a deeper insight about what is unique about American politics. The Good Citizen is an accessible and optimistic work that fits in well with discussions of political polarization and studies of how younger adults engage in politics.”
“The Good Citizen’s strengths are in its clarity of presentation, as the material is presented in a straightforward matter that is easy to understand. It is an excellent book with which to teach.”
“The Good Citizen is the perfect introduction to my class. It focuses on younger people, which gives it a direct relevance to my students. The basic argument of the book is very compelling, and was an important qualifier on the normal ‘youth bashing’ that can often happen with regard to millennials and politics. I highly recommend this book. It will not disappoint.”
“The Good Citizen is a useful introduction to political science and the social science method for students interested in learning about the diversity of approaches to the study of American politics. The book keeps its focus on civic participation, which is critically important today.”