Table of Contents

Introduction
PART I: FRAMING THE THESIS
Chapter 1. Can Democracy Be Overdone?
Chapter 2. Democracy's Expanding Reach

PART II: DIAGNOSIS
Chapter 3. The Political Saturation of Social Space
Chapter 4. The Problem of Polarization

PART III: PRESCRIPTION
Chapter 5. Civic Friendship
Chapter 6. The Place of Politics

About the Author

Robert B. Talisse is W. Alton Jones Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University. His central research area is democratic theory, where he pursues issues concerning legitimacy, justice, and public political argumentation.

Reviews

"Talisse's Overdoing Democracy provides a distinctive and nuanced theory... which he refers to as the 'political saturation of the social.' Politics pervades and swallows up too much of our lives. ...Talisse has written a high-quality work which does an excellent job integrating philosophical and empirical analysis. He has provided strong, novel arguments for why the politicization of the social undermines rather than supports democratic values." --
Jason Brennan, Society
"As political theorists and commentators broadly puzzle over the hard times faced by democracies in the early twenty-first century, Overdoing Democracy provides an extremely important challenge to assumptions that it is more and better democracy that will ultimately allow us to overcome these problems." -- Jeff Jackson, Perspectives on Politics
"Overdoing Democracy is both an argument from first principles and a timely intervention into contemporary society ... well-written, innovative and insightful." -- Daniel Sutton, Oxonian Review
"It is a rare academic text that remains accessible to intelligent non-philosophers without sacrificing philosophical substance ... Talisse has managed to provide such a text." -- Lawrence Torcello, Erraticus
"Overdoing Democracy is accessible to a wide audience while still providing new academic insights." -- Elias Anttila, Erasmus Journal for Philosophy and Economics
"Talisse's unassuming, jargon-free prose might lead one to view the book as intended only for a general audience. This is the book's deceptive quality, as its seemingly straightforward claim rests in several interesting and thought-provoking philosophical arguments." -- Lior Erez, Philosophy
"Overdoing Democracy is a rich introduction to both democratic theory and political sociology....The book is sophisticated without being intimidating and current without being trendy. It should be a reference point in discussions about the scope and divisiveness of democratic politics in America for years to come." -- Oliver Traldi, University of Notre Dame, National Review
"Political saturation, polarization, radicalization ... With precision and wit, Robert Talisse shows how politics today are tearing America apart -- and how a revival of civic friendships can save our democracy from itself." -- Leif Wenar, Chair of Philosophy and Law, King's College London
"It's always possible to have too much of a good thing -- even for democracy. Robert Talisse reveals how our culture became saturated with politics nearly to the point of self-destruction. Exemplifying the use of philosophy to illuminate real world problems, Talisse shows that sustainable democracy requires thinking of our fellow citizens as people first and politicos second. To a culture rapidly overdosing on politics, this book offers both a diagnosis and a
cure." -- Regina Rini, Canada Research Chair in Philosophy of Moral and Social Cognition, York University
"In his fascinating book, Talisse argues that the American social fabric is now being eroded by a new tendency to overdo democracy.ÂThe only solution for this problem, Talisse is right to claim, is to put democracy back in its proper place. Our tendency to politicise everything needs to be contained for democracy's sake." -- Fabienne Peter, Professor of Philosophy, University of Warwick
"Can we have too much of a good thing? In this compelling book, Robert Talisse argues we can -- that democracy can suffer when we make every issue a political issue, and every moment a political moment. An incisive and highly readable book that proposes novel solutions for the polarized times we live in." -- Michael Patrick Lynch, Professor of Philosophy, University of Connecticut and author of Know-it-All Society