Community and the Politics of Place (Paperback)

by Daniel Kemmis (Author) "At first glance, the preambles to the constitutions of Montana and of the United States seem very similar..." (more)
Key Phrases: keeping citizens apart, placeless market, laundromat owners, Thomas Jefferson, Bitter Root, James Madison (more...)

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press (September 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806124776
• ISBN-13: 978-0806124773
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #395,445 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Democratization of community politics has arrived., February 9, 1999

By A Customer

The book traces the citizens' involvement in government from the Founding Fathers to today's community meeting at the county courthouse. I enjoyed the coverage of Jefferson and Hamilton's debates and the exploration of the citizens' role in government. Through a historical understanding of the structure of our government (which is shown to discourage consensus and promote litigious solutions), the book espouses the benefits of grassroot community-based solutions to societal problems.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Required Reading, November 4, 2004

By	Rebecca Kiel "Becky Brock" (Nevada, MO USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Required reading for anyone who wonders how America came to be a divided, polarized nation. Kemmis traces the traditions of American political discourse and relates them to current civic debates. Another book that deals with the need for a sense of community is M. Scott Peck's "The Different Drum: Community-Making and Peace," 1987.

8 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars a respectable book, November 28, 1999

By	Al Kihano (Iskandria) - See all my reviews

If I were a politician, I would be proud to have written this book. If I were an academic, I probably wouldn't list it on my resume.

In his attempts to trace back the spirit of civic involvement, Kemmis succeeds in offering something new and valuable to our practical political discourse. I applaud him for trying to deal with the political theory behind his practice, but I found him unconvincing, esp. if one applies the same standards of rigour that we do to other political theorists. Read this book if you want to read something thoughtful by a practicing politician.