This definitive text explores the complex relationship between participation in the arts and participation in politics in America. It traces the American perspective on the arts through the evolution of democratic theory and the historical link with participation in the arts. The author suggests that the arts and humanities are essential for preserving the human elements of our society, and and for enriching the quality of human life. Democracy can be capable of fostering works of artistic excellence, as well as capable of creating broad-based audiences for such works. How the arts affect...