![]() Beem’s treatment takes old, dusty texts and breathes urgent vitality into them for the reform of our civic life.” -Michael Neblo, author of Deliberative Democracy Between Theory and Practice “When we think of democracy as simply a mechanism for making collective decisions, we overlook the fact that democracy is also the moral proposal that free and equal citizens can live together as a self-governing community, despite their ongoing political disagreements. Of course, in recognizing this moral dimension of democracy, we also confront the fact that democracy is not easy. In this engaging and important book, Christopher Beem makes an impassioned case for recovering the idea of democratic civic virtues, the dispositions and practices that citizens need to conduct themselves well amidst political conflict. John Dewey once wrote that democracy is a ‘task before us.’ Christopher Beem reminds us that democracy also sets a task within us.” -Robert B. He offers essential guidance for anyone who cares about democracy.” -Peter Levine, author of We Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For: The Promise of Civic Renewal in America “No one has mined the history of the Western intellectual tradition on the virtues and done nearly so good of a job in transposing those rich resources into the context of twenty-first-century democratic politics. “Beem uses his deep understanding of Western philosophical and theological traditions, plus contemporary social and cognitive psychology, to construct a strong and distinctive argument that we must cultivate certain virtues to combat polarization and misinformation. This is necessary reading for our politics today-and in the future. Beem’s road map to restore our democracy draws on thinkers from Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas to James Madison, Hannah Arendt, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.Įmpathetic and eminently reasonable, The Seven Democratic Virtues presents practical advice for what each of us can do to change the political discourse and save our democracy. He spells out seven civic practices we can all follow that will help us work against our antidemocratic tendencies and reorient the nation toward the “more perfect union” of our Founders. Updated: / 07:03 PM CDT Editor’s Note: The Geary County Sheriff’s Office issued a correction in that James Beem’s name is actually Christopher James Beem. A statement from McCourtney Institute for Democracy Director Michael Berkman and Managing Director Christopher Beem: The McCourtney Institute for Democracy is committed to promoting democracy in the United States and abroad. Instead of looking to political leaders, institutions, or policy for solutions to extreme partisanship, Christopher Beem argues that concerned citizens can and must take up the cause. Statement on Unrest in Washington: January 6, 2021. ![]() This book outlines specific steps that average citizens can take to back the nation away from the brink. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. ![]() If we don’t change course, American democracy is far from assured. Join Facebook to connect with Chris Beem and others you may know. The “other side” is no longer viewed as a well-intentioned opponent but as an existential threat. The insurrection of January 6, 2021, demonstrated conclusively that tribalism in the United States has become dangerous.
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