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Full-Text Articles in Political Science
Democratic Isolation, Thin Citizenship, And Insurrection: A Theory, Kevin G. Lorentz Ii, Kimberly Saks Mcmanaway
Democratic Isolation, Thin Citizenship, And Insurrection: A Theory, Kevin G. Lorentz Ii, Kimberly Saks Mcmanaway
eJournal of Public Affairs
Citizens are deeply cynical of the actual institutions and exercising of representative democracy, resulting in increased isolation and extremism rather than nuanced public debate and democratic involvement. Three interrelated background conditions led to this inevitable point: the erasure of political citizenship by neoliberalism, the ability of technology (especially social media) to provide perfect filtering, and the resulting fragmenting of civic experience. In this paper we outline a theory of democratic isolation that was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, exploited by populist politicians, and ultimately led to the January 6 insurrection.
The Temple Of Liberty As Fort Knox: The Securitization Of Democratic Space In The U.S. Capitol, Alisa J. Rosenthal, Lauren C. Bell
The Temple Of Liberty As Fort Knox: The Securitization Of Democratic Space In The U.S. Capitol, Alisa J. Rosenthal, Lauren C. Bell
eJournal of Public Affairs
In response to security threats in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the U.S. Capitol was made less accessible to the public through a series of security upgrades, including an expansion of the Capitol Police force, new visitor registration programs, and the construction and implementation of physical barriers in and around the Capitol building itself. However, increased safety for members and staff has had consequences for the important symbolic representation that the Capitol building itself provides. As Parkinson (2009, 10) notes: “Capital cities are, by design, by usage or both, symbols of national institutions, values, myths, and norms – they …