Focus Global Perspectives Reports

Departments Themes

Americans have a long tradition, rooted in the founding of their republic, of examining and debating the course of U.S. society. The debate intensified recently in the wake of Harvard University professor Robert D. Putnam's assertions that a "continuing erosion of civic engagement" poses a threat to democratic institutions. Among the many distinguished scholars who have responded to Putnam's views is Seymour Martin Lipset, who asserts that civic institutions are robust and "the American dream is still alive."

BOWLING ALONE: AMERICA'S DECLINING SOCIAL CAPITAL
Robert D. Putnam, Dillion Professor of International Affairs at Harvard University, argues that civil society in the United States has declined over the past few decades.

MALAISE AND RESILIENCY
Seymour Martin Lipset, Hazel Professor of Public Policy at George Mason University, says that Americans remain more active in voluntary associations and more willing to contribute to nongovernmental organizations than citizens of any other country.

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES

THE EMERGENCE OF GLOBAL CIVIL SOCIETY
Miguel Darcy de Oliveira and Rajesh Tandon, members of the citizens' alliance organization, CIVICUS, maintain that citizen action groups are proliferating worldwide.

NEED FOR CITIZEN ACTIVISM GREATER NOW THAN EVER
In an interview with contributing editor David Pitts, Randa Slim, head of international civil society programs at the Kettering Foundation, discusses the necessity for strong civil societies and a method to sustain them.

REPORTS

THE IMPORTANCE OF CIVIC EDUCATION
Albert Shanker, president of the American Federation of Teachers, discusses the importance of civic education to the building of democracy.

CIVIC JOURNALISM -- AN ANTIDOTE TO APATHY?
Contributing editor Paul Malamud reports on the trend toward involvement in the community by local newspapers, at a time when media coverage of political and social issues is often superficial and shallow.

DEPARTMENTS

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Annotations of recent books and periodicals on civic education.

ARTICLE ALERT
Abstracts of articles on a wide range of democracy and human rights issues.

INTERNET SITES
Sites on the World Wide Web that feature democracy and human rights issues. The opinions expressed on other Internet sites listed here do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Government.

ISSUES OF DEMOCRACY THEMES

Issues of Democracy

Electronic Journals of the U.S. Information Agency
Volume 1, Number 8, July 1996

USIA's electronic journals, published and transmitted worldwide at two-week intervals, examine major issues facing the United States and the international community. The journals -- Economic Perspectives, Global Issues, Issues of Democracy, U.S. Foreign Policy Agenda, and U.S. Society & Values -- provide analyses, commentary, and background information in their thematic areas. French and Spanish language versions appear one week after the English. The opinions expressed in the journals do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Government. Articles may be reproduced and translated unless there are copyright restrictions cited somewhere on the articles.

Current or back issues of the journals can be found at the Journals site on the U.S. Information Service (USIS) Home Page on the World Wide Web. They are available in several electronic formats to facilitate viewing on-line, transferring, downloading, and printing. Comments are welcome at your local USIS post or at the editorial offices:

Editor, Issues of Democracy
Democracy and Human Rights - I/TDHR
U.S. Information Agency
301 4th Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20547
United States of America

ejdemos@usia.gov.

Publisher............................Judith S. Siegel
Editor....................................Edward Kemp
Managing Editor......................Valerie Kreutzer
Associate Editors..........................Wayne Hall
............................................Guy Olson
Internet and Text Editor...........Deborah M.S. Brown
Contributing Editors.....................Paul Malamud
..........................................David Pitts
Art Director.........................Diane Woolverton
Reference Specialists....................Carol Norton
......................................Barbara Sanders
Editorial Assistants......................Mark Harang
..........................................Dan Pinegar
...........................................Peggy Wong
Graphics Assistant.......................Sylvia Scott


Editorial Board

Howard Cincotta.......Judith S. Siegel.......Pamela H. Smith