The Revolt of the Elites and the Betrayal of Democracy
Description
This incisive critique argues that American democracy is endangered less by popular unrest than by increasingly mobile, professional elites who have detached themselves from national communities and the responsibilities of civic life. Drawing on history and social analysis, it traces how meritocracy, careerism, and elite isolation have weakened the older democratic ideal of shared competence, mutual obligation, and respect for ordinary citizens. The book examines the cultural and political consequences of this divide, challenging the language of self-esteem and the complacency of academic and professional progressivism. Provocative and wide-ranging, it offers a sobering explanation for public apathy, social fragmentation, and the growing loss of faith in democratic participation.
Available Editions
paperback
W. W. Norton & Company
Published Jan 1, 1996
256 pages
ISBN: 9780393313710
Reviews
1 rating
No written reviews yet.
Details
First Published
1995
Language
eng
Content Warnings
Content and trigger warnings for The Revolt of the Elites and the Betrayal of Democracy by Christopher Lasch.