Democracy in Suburbia.
"Much of what social scientists and other scholars have written about suburban life and politics has not been firmly grounded in empirical research. . . . This deficiency has been partially redressed by political scientist Oliver."--Choice"Eric Oliver's book is a welcome departure from unsubstantiated claims, providing a sophisticated empirical analysis of the impact of social contexts and suburbanization on civic engagement. . . .Democracy in Suburbiais an important contribution."--Daniel Rubenson,Political Studies"Oliver demonstrates that strong communities and large accumulations of social capital can actually undermine democracy. Class and racial divisions must be dealt with by our society. . . . [I]t is at the local level that the most creative solutions are forged and that citizens acquire crucial civic skills and democratic values."--Todd Swanstrom,Review of Politics"A remarkable book, literally the first one ever published to present definitive evidence on the crucial issue of the impact of the suburbs on American democracy. . . . It virtually forces the reader to step outside old debates and assumptions and examine anew the consequences of America's preference for fragmented governmental arrangements."--Dennis R. Judd,American Political Science Review