National Civic Review articles from December 2005

National Civic Review archives from December 2005

Note from the editor.
December 22, 2005... I've never quite understood the distinction between the words republic and democracy. Can it be as simple as James Madison's definition in the Federalist Papers? Republican government, he suggested in Federalist number 10, was a representative...

Divided we stand: the polarizing of American politics.
December 22, 2005... A recent Zogby poll found that 70 percent of Americans believe the Democratic and Republican parties should both be broad-based and pursue compromise rather than polarization. The same poll found that a solid majority believe the two parties...

Deliberation in the balance: a cautionary note on the promise of deliberative democracy.(Essay)
December 22, 2005... Diversity is, and always has been, one of the nation's most important strengths. Yet it can sometimes seem more a liability than an asset. In everyday life, differences create friction, and nowhere is the downside of diversity more evident than...

Solving a classic dilemma of democratic politics: who will guard the guardians?
December 22, 2005... This article is adapted from the last chapter of the author's book Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick: How Local TV Broadcasters Exert Political Power (New York: iUniverse, 2005). The founders of the United States were deeply concerned...

The state of social equity in American Public Administration.(Essay)
December 22, 2005... Over the years, public administrators have contributed much in helping to create a more equitable, fairer, and more just America. Yet we have much more to contribute. As a core value in public administration, social equity is no longer novel or...

Social capitalism begins at home.(Woburn, Massachusetts)
December 22, 2005... Earlier in the summer, Citizens Park in downtown Woburn, Massachusetts, opened as a centerpiece of revitalization efforts. Now, on a sultry August evening, an expectant crowd of all ages waits in Citizens Park while the Brazilian jazz band...

Setting a new goalpost: 100 percent voter registration.(POLITICAL REFORM)
December 22, 2005... Our country's strength flows from its willingness to innovate and improve upon the American experiment in democracy. Recent presidential elections underscore the importance of revamping how we register citizens to vote. Currently, there...

Coping with leadership transitions in community-building organizations.(COMMUNITY BUILDING)
December 22, 2005... Adapted with permission from the Fall 2004 issue of Casey Connects/ Insites, the Annie E. Casey Foundation's quarterly newsletter (www.aecf.org). East Baltimore is a study in contrasts. On the one hand, it is home to Johns Hopkins...

Government, public health, and physical activity.(LOCAL GOVERNMENT)
December 22, 2005... This work was conducted as part of a project with the Urban Research Interest Group, an initiative sponsored by the Urban Affairs Programs, Center for Global Change and Earth Observations, the Institute of Public Policy and Social Research, and...

Wayside teaching and civic engagement.(TRENDS IN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT)
December 22, 2005... Civic engagement is a term that has entered the lexicon of higher education in recent years, and institutional attention to the concept is fundamentally altering the way we prepare college graduates for their role in society upon graduation....