ABSTRACT
In a civic republic, citizens are expected to exer-
cise political control over their communal lives.
Although participating in public life exposes
individuals to their community, they stand to
benefit more from their public acts than an
immunized individual who lives a sheltered
life in their own private spheres. Many
trumpet the republican ideal of public life as
the highest expression of individual life. Some,
such as MacIntyre and Bellah et al., promote
civic virtue, while others, such as Putnam,
promote social capital.
