Civic Literacy

Policy and Politics in the American City brings to life a variety of ways to look at American local governments from the perspective of "civic literacy" specifically intended for future public decision makers and private citizens wishing to participate in their own communities. The more one knows about our governments the more accurate and positive policy one can make. The book starts with such questions as what a local government is and why do Americans sometimes not know in which local government they live. The remainder of the chapter sets up the important definitions for the rest of the book. From there the book looks at civic literacy from the perspective of several disciplines and ends with a discussion about public ethical behavior. The emphasis is not just on policy but on the political questions surrounding the development of policy. Reading the book will give the student as well as interested private citizens the knowledge and tools to help them to make important decisions regarding their own local governments.