Democracy's Child

The book is a compelling argument for adults to pay more attention to the voices of youth and an affirmation to young people that they can make a difference. * M. R. Michelson, CHOICE *
Cynics and pessimists often overlook the important role that young people have played in U.S. politics. In Democracy's Child, Gash and Tichenor definitively show that this is a terrible mistake. The kids are more than alright—and the future of democracy depends on them. * Susan Burgess, Distinguished Professor, Ohio University, and Sr. Professional Lecturer, DePaul University *
This fascinating book broadly explores children's relationship to politics. The authors move beyond familiar narratives about how law and policy affect children to examine children as symbols for political movements and also to understand children as political agents. By centering children, the book helps us to rethink political agency. It renders visible important political acts by and around subjects who do not yet have full political membership in society. * Julie Novkov, Professor of Political Science and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, University at Albany, SUNY *
Children organize some of the most powerful social movements worldwide. At the same time, they are often weaponized by adults waging their own wars over culture and politics. How can we do justice to the citizenship of children? Democracy's Child answers this pressing question, offering an innovative framing of children as subjects, icons, collateral and agents to illustrate the diverse facets of children's political lives. Through expertly curated storytelling and authoritative research, Gash and Tichenor guide readers toward a better understanding of how children experience and influence politics. * Elizabeth F. Cohen, Professor of Political Science, Syracuse University *
Young people are key to the future of our democracy, and yet, they are often rendered marginal to the study of American politics. In Democracy's Child, Gash and Tichenor offer a powerful framework to understand the role of children and young people in politics. In making their case for a more expansive view of why children and young people are central to democratic politics, the authors skillfully weave present-day illustrations, from school board fights and youth activism over gun control and immigrant rights, to historical examples from labor movements and the Civil Rights Movement. This is a masterfully written book, with an agenda-setting framework, and a call to action that should inspire scholarship and investments in young people's political agency for years to come. * Karthick Ramakrishnan, Professor of Public Policy, University of California Riverside and board member, The California Endowment *