On the Side of the Angels: An Appreciation of Parties and
ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Rosenblum, Nancy L., PUBLISHER: Princeton University Press, Political parties are ong>theong> defining institutions ong>ofong> representative democracy ong>andong> ong>theong> darlings ong>ofong> political science. ong>Theong>ir governing ong>andong> electoral functions are among ong>theong> chief concerns ong>ofong> ong>theong> field. Yet most political ong>theong>orists--including democratic ong>theong>orists--ignore or disparage parties as grubby arenas ong>ofong> ambition, obstacles to meaningful political participation ong>andong> deliberation. "On ong>theong> Side ong>ofong> ong>theong> Angels" is a vigorous defense ong>ofong> ong>theong> virtues ong>ofong> parties ong>andong> partisanship, ong>andong> ong>theong>ir worth as a subject for political ong>theong>ory. Nancy Rosenblum's account moves between political ong>theong>ory ong>andong> political science, ong>andong> she uses resources from both fields to outline an appreciation ong>ofong> parties ong>andong> ong>theong> moral distinctiveness ong>ofong> partisanship. She draws from ong>theong> history ong>ofong> political thought ong>andong> identifies ong>theong> main lines ong>ofong> opposition to parties, as well as ong>theong> rare but significant moments ong>ofong> appreciation. Rosenblum ong>theong>n sets forth her own ong>theong>oretical appreciation ong>ofong> parties ong>andong> partisanship. She discusses ong>theong> achievement ong>ofong> parties in regulating rivalries, channeling political energies, ong>andong> creating ong>theong> lines ong>ofong> division that make pluralist politics meaningful. She defends "partisan" as a political identity over ong>theong> much-vaunted status ong>ofong> "independent," ong>andong> she considers where contemporary democracies should draw ong>theong> line in banning parties. "On ong>theong> Side ong>ofong> ong>theong> Angels" ong>ofong>fers an ethics ong>ofong> partisanship that speaks to questions ong>ofong> centrism, extremism, ong>andong> polarization in American party politics. By rescuing parties from ong>theong>ir status as orphans ong>ofong> political philosophy, Rosenblum fills a significant void in political ong>andong> democratic ong>theong>ory.