Civic Ideals: Conflicting Visions of Citizenship in U.S. History

By Rogers M. Smith and Professor Rogers M. Smith

Book Overview

Is civic identity in the United States really defined by liberal, democratic political principles? Or is U.S. citizenship the product of multiple traditions--not only liberalism and republicanism but also white supremacy, Anglo-Saxon supremacy, Protestant supremacy, and male supremacy? In this powerful and disturbing book, Rogers Smith traces political struggles over U.S. citizenship laws from the colonial period through the Progressive era and shows that throughout this time, most adults were legally denied access to full citizenship, including political rights, solely because of their race, ethnicity, or gender. Basic conflicts over these denials have driven political development and civic membership in the U.S., Smith argues. These conflicts are what truly define U.S. civic identity up to this day.

Others have claimed that nativist, racist, and sexist traditions have been marginal or that they are purely products of capitalist institutions. In contrast, Smith's pathbreaking account explains why these traditions have been central to American political and economic life. He shows that in the politics of nation building, principles of democracy and liberty have often failed to foster a sense of shared "peoplehood" and have instead led many Americans to claim that they are a "chosen people," a "master race" or superior culture, with distinctive gender roles. Smith concludes that today the United States is in a period of reaction against the egalitarian civic reforms of the last generation, with nativist, racist, and sexist beliefs regaining influence. He suggests ways that proponents of liberal democracy should alter their view of U.S. citizenship in order to combat these developments more effectively.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0300078773
• ISBN13: 9780300078770
• Release Date: April 1999
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Length: 736 Pages
• Weight: 2.28 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.8" x 6.1" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

A REAL HISTORY

Civic Ideals is a book every american should read.Prof.Smith has demonstrated clearly how trough history the United States have had diferents meanings about the citizenship.In the case of Puerto Rico-the last colony of the world-we the Puerto Ricans have a second-class citizenship.The author sumarize very well our case with the insular cases and Balzac vs. People of Puerto Rico.Also Smith analize the legal debate in the Harvard Law Review,but do not mention the Yale Law Journal(Adams,Elmer B.,"The Causes and Results of Our War with Spain from a legal Standpoint."VII(1899),pag.119 and Parker,Le Roy,"The Constitution of Porto Rico",X (1901),pag.136.)and Columbia Law Review;Fuller,Paul,"Some Constitutional Questions Suggested by Recent Acquisitions"I(1901),pag.108).For people who want to know the real constitutional history of The United States this book is excellent.Is one of my favorites books.