Abroadtheoryofciviclifethatasksthequestion“Whatshouldwedo?“andshowshowtoaskitwellforcivicengagement.Peoplewhowanttoimprovetheworldmustaskthefundamentalcivicquestion:“Whatshouldwedo?“Althoughthespecificissuesandchallengespeoplefaceareenormouslydiverse,theyoftenencounterproblemsofcollectiveaction(howtogetmanyindividualstoactinconcert),ofdiscourse(howtotalkandthinkproductivelyaboutcontentiousmatters),andofexclusion.Togetthingsdone,theymustformorjoinandsustainfunctionalgroups,andthroughthem,developskillsandvirtuesthathelpthemtobeeffectiveandresponsiblecivicactors.InWhatShouldWeDo?,PeterLevine,oneofAmerica’sleadingscholarsandpractitionersofcivicengagement,identifiesthegeneralchallengesthatconfrontpeoplewhoaskthecitizens’questionandexploressolutions.Ultimately,hisgoalistoprovideaunifiedtheoreticalfoundationforeffectivecivicengagementandcitizenaction.Levinedrawsfromthreerichtraditions:researchoncollectiveactionbyElinorOstromandhercolleagues,workondeliberationanddiscoursebyJ羹rgenHabermas,andthenonviolentsocialmovementsledbyGandhiandMartinLutherKing,Jr.Usingreal-worldexamples,hedevelopsatheoryofcitizenactionthatcaneffectivelywrestlewiththeseproblemssothattheydon’tdestabilizemovements.Abroadtheoryofciviclife,WhatShouldWeDo?turnsfromthequestionofwhatmakesasocietyjusttothequestionofhowtorelatetoourfellowhumanbeingsinacontextofinjustice.Anditofferspragmaticguidanceforpeoplewhoseektoimprovetheworld.
