Dr. Bert Emerson, associate professor of English and director of the Honors program, has just published a book in conjunction with Oxford University Press entitled Democracies in America: Keywords for the 19th Century and Today. This book was published in conjunction with Greg Laski, civilian Assistant Professor of English at the US Air Force Academy. 

This book is a collection of twenty five essays written by experts in history, literature, religious studies, political philosophy, rhetoric, and more. It focuses on the historical era of the revolution, the lead up to the Civil War, different aspects of Reconstruction, and early reforms of the Progressive Era. Through the essays, different authors examine enduring dilemmas for society and governance including citizenship, representation, and the tension of republic versus democracy. 

Dr. Emerson has been featured on the podcast Politics is Everything where he discusses the book and its impact in a 37 minute episode. He also was featured on an episode of “The Open Mind” where he discussed the objective and subjective definitions of democracy and the shared understandings individuals have of democratic rule. 

Click here to learn more about this book or pre-order it.