The focus of political theorist Benjamin Barber’s scholarship has been democratic civic engagement both in the USA and globally, and threats to meaningful participation by citizens in self-governance. In addition to his scholarship, Barber has been a public voice for democratic ideals and served as an informal consultant to President Bill Clinton, with his experiences and reflections providing the basis for his most recent book The Truth of Power: Intellectual Affairs in the Clinton White House (2008).
Barber’s interests are both academic and practical, which is reflected in his writings which range from democratic theory at the more conceptual and theoretical level, to issues of implementation at the level of democratic practice.
In his earlier published work Barber advocated “strong democracy,” a democratic governance resting on the civic engagement of an active, informed citizenry who realize the good of participatory politics. This conception of a liberal democratic industrialized...
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Barber B (2001) Jihad vs. McWorld: terrorism’s challenge to democracy, 2nd edn. Ballantine Books, New York
Barber B (2004) Strong democracy: participatory politics for a new age, Deluxe edition. University of California Press, Berkeley
Barber B (2007) Consumed: how markets corrupt children, infantilize adults, and swallow citizens whole. W.W. Norton, New York
Barber B (2008) The truth to power: intellectual affairs in the Clinton White House. Columbia University Press, New York
Perusek D (ed) (2010) Between Jihad and McWorld: voices of social justice. Papers presented at a conference with Benjamin Barber. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Newcastle upon Tyne
Ritzer G (ed) (2009) McDonaldization: the reader, 3rd edn. Pine Forge Press, Newbury Park
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Babst, G.A. (2011). Barber, Benjamin. In: Chatterjee, D.K. (eds) Encyclopedia of Global Justice. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9160-5_418
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