Civic Ideals
Rogers M. Smith, signed by author
$90.00

s/t: Conflicting Visions of Citizenship in U.S. History

The definitive and indispensable book on what it takes and means, legally and politically, to be an American. “Is civic identity in the United States really defined by liberal, democratic political principles? Or is citizenship the product of multiple traditions, not only liberalism and republicanism, but also white supremacy, Anglo-Saxon supremacy, Protestant supremacy, and male supremacy? In this powerful and disturbing book, Rogers M. Smith traces political struggles over citizenship laws from the Colonial Period through the Progressive Era, and shows that throughout history, most adults were legally denied access to full citizenship, including political rights, solely because of their race, ethnicity, or gender. Basic conflicts over these denials have driven political development in the United States. These conflicts are what truly define civic society to this day. Concludes that today, the United States is in a period of reaction against the egalitarian civic reforms of the last generation, with nativist, racist, and sexist beliefs regaining influence. Suggests ways that proponents of liberal democracy should alter their view of citizenship in order to combat these developments more effectively” (Publisher’s blurb). The struggle between blacks (African-Americans) and whites (European-Americans) underpins, mirrors, and extends to the struggle between immigrants (ALL would-be immigrants, not just Hispanics) and those “natural-born” (mostly whites). In Smith’s exhaustive account, it often amounts to nothing less than the existential struggle between self and the unassimilable, alien Other. An absolute “must-have” title for Rogers M. Smith collectors.