Title: Creating a democratic public
Subtitle: the struggle for urban participatory democracy during the progressive era
First published: 1998
Description: Mattson explores the work of early activists like Charles Zueblin, who tried to advance adult education at the University of Chicago, and Frederic Howe, whose People's Institute sparked the nationwide forum movement. He then turns to the social centers movement, which began in Rochester, New York, in 1907 with the opening of public schools to adults in the evening as centers for debate over current issues.

Mattson tells how this simple program grew into a national phenomenon and cites its achievements and political ideals, and he analyzes the political thought of activists within the movement - notably Mary Parker Follett and Edward Ward - to show that these intellectuals had a profound understanding of what was needed to create vigorous democratic practices.

Creating a Democratic Public challenges us to reconsider how we think about democracy by bringing us into critical dialogue with the past and exploring the work of yesterday's activists. Combining historical analysis, political theory, and social criticism, Mattson analyzes experiments in grassroots democracy from the Progressive Era and explores how we might foster more public involvement in political deliberation today.
Subjects: Politics and government, Political culture, Progressivism (United States politics), History, Political participation, Human Rights, Participation politique, Civil Rights, POLITICAL SCIENCE, Politieke vorming, Progressivisme, Democratie, Lokale politiek, Political Freedom & Security, Progressisme, Histoire, Culture politique, Politique et gouvernement, Politieke participatie, United states, politics and government, 1865-1933
Places: United States
Time periods: 1865-1933
LC classification: JK1764 .M384 1998