ABSTRACT
This chapter seeks to unravel tensions between John Dewey’s conception of the “public” and its relationship to state formation. Transnational argument networks are forming to supplant oppositional government structures in ways that demonstrate that publics can form and function autonomously, as the case of climate change advocacy networks transcending national boundaries and state authority illustrates. On June 1, 2017, President Donald Trump announced his intention to withdraw the United States from the historic Paris climate agreement. The C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group and the Global Covenant of Mayors represent a forum for transnational argumentation on climate, with attendant goals for cities to reach on climate change initiatives. The development of transnational argumentation networks on climate change demonstrates that while John Dewey’s s theory of the public remains salient, it also undermines his theory of the state.
