Democracy in the Making looks at how activist groups form. By closely observing the dynamics of 60 emerging activist efforts on the left and right over a three year period in Pittsburgh, it assesses the possibilities and limits of grassroots activism as a democratizing force in modern U.S. society. The book presents two broad findings. First, very early times matter. What an activist group initially does, even what it talks about, has long-lasting consequences. Early actions set up assumptions about how activist groups should operate that are difficult to dismantle or even perc ... More

Democracy in the Making looks at how activist groups form. By closely observing the dynamics of 60 emerging activist efforts on the left and right over a three year period in Pittsburgh, it assesses the possibilities and limits of grassroots activism as a democratizing force in modern U.S. society. The book presents two broad findings. First, very early times matter. What an activist group initially does, even what it talks about, has long-lasting consequences. Early actions set up assumptions about how activist groups should operate that are difficult to dismantle or even perceive. Second, activist groups make decisions within a changing sense of what is possible. Over time, their sense of possibilities tends to narrow and options for action become more restricted. When action is too constrained, groups either collapse or dramatically reshape their sense of possibilities. By taking a close look at how ordinary people come together to change society, this book pinpoints both the potentials and the boundaries of democratization in grassroots activism. It shows how activism can broaden people’s sense of political engagement but also how activist groups can become mired in dysfunctional and undemocratic patterns that their members may dislike but don’t know how to change.