Democratizing Inequalities: Dilemmas of the New Public Participation,New

Review'Democratizing Inequalities is a timely and provocative compilation that demonstrates how participatory practices across a range of expected and unexpected locations cut both waysopening up avenues for citizen engagement while also limiting the democratic potential assumed to follow. The chapters in this volume are a welcome empirical corrective to celebratory discourses of citizen participation, and the book is certain to be an important resource for researchers and practitioners interested in the democratic possibilities of the 'new public participation.'' Debra Minkoff,author of Organizing for Equality'The authors of Democratizing Inequalities set out to problematize the belief in public participation as a simplistic social good. With this collection of researchbased studies and theoretical assessments of the field of participation and democracy studies they have thoughtfully and thoroughly achieved their goal.' Lynne M. Woehrle ,Mount Mary University Mobilization'The book is incredibly timely and deserves attention for its quality of scholarship and for its subject matter. It is an example of how research can both be scholarly and have uses for actors outside of academia.' Contemporary Sociology'This is an exceptionally timely volume, consistently strong in its individual contributions and coherent in its collective analysis. Democratizing Inequalities both defines a major question for contemporary politicshow and why does political participation matterand advances a convincing contrarian argument. This volume and the questions raised within highlight a vital conversation about political theory and policy that is likely to be with us for many years.' Elisabeth Clemens,author of The People's Lobby'The volume clearly illustrates the complexities of democracy and deliberative politics. It shows us that, despite participatory processes, we have yet to perfect democracy. The book challenges us to consider whether deliberative processes achieve what we want them to.' MobilizationProduct DescriptionOpportunities to have your say, get involved, and join theconversation are everywhere in public life. From crowdsourcing and town hallmeetings to government experiments with social media, participatory politics increasinglyseem like a revolutionary antidote to the decline of civic engagement and thethinning of the contemporary public sphere. Many argue that, with newtechnologies, flexible organizational cultures, and a supportive policymakingcontext, we now hold the keys to largescale democratic revitalization.Democratizing Inequalities shows that the equation may not be sosimple. Modern societies face a variety of structural problems that limitpotentials for true democratization, as well as vast inequalities in politicalaction and voice that are not easily resolved by participatory solutions. Popularparticipation may even reinforce elite power in unexpected ways. Resisting anoversimplified account of participation as empowerment, this collection ofessays brings together a diverse range of leading scholars to reveal surprisinginsights into how dilemmas of the new public participation play out in politicsand organizations. Through investigations including fights over theauthenticity of businesssponsored public participation, the surge of the TeaParty, the role of corporations in electoral campaigns, and participatorybudgeting practices in Brazil, DemocratizingInequalities seeks to refresh our understanding of public participation andtrace the reshaping of authority in todays political environment.About the AuthorCaroline W. Lee is Associate Professor of Sociology at Lafayette College. Her research explores the intersection of social movements, business, and democracy in American politics. She is the author of DoItYourself Democracy: The Rise of the Public Engagement Industry.Michael McQuarrie is Associate Professor of Sociology at the London School of Economics an