Democratic Isolation, Thin Citizenship, and Insurrection: A Theory

Authors

Kevin G. Lorentz II, Saginaw Valley State UniversityFollow
Kimberly Saks McManaway, University of Michigan, FlintFollow

Abstract

Citizens are deeply cynical of the actual institutions and exercising of representative democracy, resulting in increased isolation and extremism rather than nuanced public debate and democratic involvement. Three interrelated background conditions led to this inevitable point: the erasure of political citizenship by neoliberalism, the ability of technology (especially social media) to provide perfect filtering, and the resulting fragmenting of civic experience. In this paper we outline a theory of democratic isolation that was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, exploited by populist politicians, and ultimately led to the January 6 insurrection.

Recommended Citation

Lorentz, Kevin G. II and Saks McManaway, Kimberly (2022) "Democratic Isolation, Thin Citizenship, and Insurrection: A Theory," eJournal of Public Affairs: Vol. 11: No. 1, Article 3.
Available at: https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/ejopa/vol11/iss1/3