The Jury and Democracy the Jury and Democracy: How Jury Deliberation Promotes Civic Engagement and Politicahow Jury Deliberation Promotes Civic Engage

ISBN-13: 9780195377316 / Angielski / Miękka / 2010 / 288 str.

John Gastil; E. Pierre Deess; Philip J. Weiser

Opis

Alexis de Tocqueville, John Stuart Mill, and the U.S. Supreme Court have all alleged that jury service promotes civic and political engagement, yet none could prove it. Finally, The Jury and Democracy provides compelling systematic evidence to support this view.

Drawing from in-depth interviews, thousands of juror surveys, and court and voting records from across the United States, the authors show that serving on a jury can trigger changes in how citizens view themselves, their peers, and their government--and can even significantly increase electoral turnout among infrequent voters. Jury service also sparks long-term shifts in media use, political action, and community involvement.

In an era when involved Americans are searching for ways to inspire their fellow citizens, The Jury and Democracy offers a plausible and realistic path for turning passive spectators into active political participants.

Recenzje

Written in engaging prose without sacrificing analytical rigor, this book is a must-read for scholars and students of the American jury system, as well as anyone interested in the effect that citizen participation in government institutions has on the strength of a democratic society.

O autorze

Gastil Professor of Communication and Adjunct Professor of Political Science, University of Washington; Deess Director of Institutional Research, New Jersey Institute of Technology; Weiser Professor of Law, University of Colorado; Simmons Lecturer in Communication, University of Washington (J.D. and former UPI political reporter)