While new governments around the world strive for democracy, the United States is becoming increasingly authoritarian and undemocratic. Sociologist Philip Slater shows how Congress-bashing and low voter turnout are symptoms of a larger decline in our faith in the sharing of power and information. In documenting the costs of American authoritarianism, Slater convincingly demonstrates that democratic processes, however messy and confusing, ultimately yield the most intelligent and flexible responses to a complex world.
Philip Slater was an author, actor, playwright, and sociologist. He taught sociology at Harvard, Brandeis, and the University of California at Santa Cruz. He obtained a doctorate from Harvard.