ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book assesses the various ways citizens do and do not participate in their communities and in American politics. It explores various aspects of the hierarchy of political involvement and examines forms of political participation that are associated with the New Citizenship. The book outlines the varied conceptions of the role that the citizenry should play in the American political system. It examines the kind of citizen politics associated with participatory democracy and the New Citizenship in considerable detail. The book explores the possible impact of September 11, 2001, on how citizens, including college students, engage the political system. It discusses the constitutional framers were concerned that factious activity could threaten the stability of their newly created political and economic system. The book explores qualitative surveys of voters' attitudes toward politics and political participation.
