Silent citizenship : the politics of marginality in unequal democracies / edited by Justin Gest and Sean W.D. Gray.

"The chapters in this book were originally published in Citizenship Studies, volume 19, issue 5 (August 2015)"--Page vii.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Mapping silent citizenship : how democratic theory hears citizens' silence and why it matters / Sean W.D. Gray -- Solace for the frustrations of silent citizenship : the case of epicureanism / Jeffrey Edward Green -- Silent citizens : reflections on community, habit, and the silent majority in political life / Bryan S. Turner -- Domination, global harms, and the problem of silent citizenship : toward a republican theory of global justice / James Bohman -- Pro- and anti-system behavior : a complementary approach to voice and silence in studies of political behaviour / Justin Gest -- American women of color and rational non-candidacy : when silent citizenship makes politics look like old white men shouting / Shauna L. Shames -- Silent citizenship among Asian Americans and Latinos : opting out or left out? / Justin A. Berry and Jane Junn.

"What does silent citizenship mean in a democracy? With levels of economic and political inequality on the rise across the developed democracies, citizens are becoming more disengaged from their neighbourhoods and communities, more distrustful of politicians and political parties, more sceptical of government goods and services, and less interested in voicing their frustrations in public or at the ballot box. The result is a growing number of silent citizens who seem disconnected from democratic politics--who are unaware of political issues, lack knowledge about public affairs, do not debate, deliberate, or take action, and most fundamentally, do not vote. Yet, although silent citizenship can and does indicate deficits of democracy, research suggests that these deficits are not the only reason citizens may have for remaining silent in democratic life. Silence may also reflect an active and engaged response to politics under highly unequal conditions. What is missing is a full accounting of the problems and possibilities for democracy that silent citizenship represents. Bringing together leading scholars in political science and democratic theory, this book provides a valuable exploration of the changing nature and form of silent citizenship in developed democracies today"--Page i.