Empowering Citizens Engaging the Public - Rainer Eisfeld Kartoniert (TB)

Eisfeld's analysis of political science and its limits offers a bold framework for reforming the discipline in this century. Eisfeld asks us to look at foundational issues of democracy in the broadest possible terms. -Dianne Pinderhughes former APSA President University of Notre Dame Of major significance for the debate over 21st century political science impressive in its intellectual scope.-Marian Sawer former AAPSA President Australian National University An intellectual commitment to 'thinking big' and a bold vision of the social sciences' 'promise' - freeing citizens from feeling tr apped through public engagement.-Matthew Flinders former PSA President University of Sheffield A remarkable project pulled off with a grace and balance that belie the complexity and controversy of the issues Eisfeld addresses. -Leslie A. Pal former CPSA Board Member Carleton University Ottawa This book is the first comprehensive study to respond to the ongoing debates on political sciences's fragmentation doubtful relevance and disconnect with the larger public. It explores the implications of the argument that political science ought to become more topic-driven more relevant and more comprehensible for lay audiences. Consequences would include evolving a culture of public engagement challenging tendencies toward liars' rule and emphasizing the role of large themes in academic education and research the latter being identified as those areas where severe democratic erosion is occurring - such as escalating income and wealth disparities pushing democracy towards plutocracy ubiquitous change triggering insecurity and aggression racist prejudice polarizing societies and counter-terrorism strategies subverting civil liberties. Political science needs to address these pressing problems ahead of other issues by in-depth research and broadly accessible public narratives including solution-orientated normative notions. This need provides the final justification for evolving a discipline where problems would take priority over methods and public relevance over sophisticated specialization. Rainer Eisfeld Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Osnabrück University Germany taught at UCLA as a Visiting Professor. He has represented IPSA's research committees on the IPSA Executive Committee and has also served on the Board of Trustees of the Buchenwald Mittelbau-Dora Concentration Camp Memorial.