#Republic: Divided Democracy in the Age of Social Media

Cass R. Sunstein

Published by Princeton University Press 2018

#Republic

Divided Democracy in the Age of Social Media

Cass R. Sunstein
Afterword by: Cass R. Sunstein

https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400890521

Overview
Contents

About this book

From the New York Times bestselling author of Nudge and The World According to Star Wars, a revealing account of how today's Internet threatens democracy—and what can be done about it

As the Internet grows more sophisticated, it is creating new threats to democracy. Social media companies such as Facebook can sort us ever more efficiently into groups of the like-minded, creating echo chambers that amplify our views. It's no accident that on some occasions, people of different political views cannot even understand one another. It's also no surprise that terrorist groups have been able to exploit social media to deadly effect. Welcome to the age of #Republic.

In this revealing book, New York Times bestselling author Cass Sunstein shows how today’s Internet is driving political fragmentation, polarization, and even extremism--and what can be done about it. He proposes practical and legal changes to make the Internet friendlier to democratic deliberation, showing that #Republic need not be an ironic term. Rather, it can be a rallying cry for the kind of democracy that citizens of diverse societies need most.

Author / Editor information

Cass R. Sunstein is the Robert Walmsley University Professor at Harvard Law School. His many books include the New York Times bestsellers Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness (with Richard H. Thaler) and The World According to Star Wars. He lives in Concord, Massachusetts.

Reviews

Required reading for anyone who is concerned with the future of democracy.

"With political polarisation on the rise, particularly in the United States, [this book] couldn't come at a more important time."—Stephanie Cutter, former Senior Aide to President Barack Obama and Partner, Precision Strategies

A timely and persuasive argument about the risk that online media polarization poses to deliberative democracy in the United States.---Andrew W. Lang, Law Library Journal

An excellent assessment of how social psychology, technology, and politics are colliding to produce the extreme and polarized discourse that has come to dominate our contemporary political environment. Its accessible prose and clear organization make it a solid pick for political science courses as well as citizens who want to better understand how technology is changing the way we think and talk about politics in today's world.---Alex Dean, Prospect

More praise for#Republic---Benjamin Knoll, New York Journal of Books

I . . . found myself shocked at how relevant Sunstein's account was to my own life and the ways I seek out and encounter information, which is in a way the value of the book--it gets you to reflect on the role of your information habits on your view of the world around you. And if you want to know how important that is, well, you should read Sunstein's book.---Annie Coreno, Publishers Weekly

#Republic . . . describes how social media shapes politics and journalism. So far, it has not received as much attention as Nudge. This is a pity: the ideas in #Republic are arguably more important--and more pressing.---Gilliant Tett, Financial Times Magazine

Recent events such as the unexpected rise of Donald Trump and the growth of partisan hatred have led many people to start taking the problem of political ignorance and bias more seriously than before. [This] important new book offer[s] insightful diagnoses and potential solutions for these dangers. . . . [It makes] important points and offer[s] valuable insights, particularly when it comes to the role of the internet and social media in our political environment. . . . [It is] essential reading for anyone interested in this pressing subject.---Ilya Somin, Washington Post's Volokh Conspiracy

America's leading legal academic gives us a way to address democracy's leading challenge--preserving a public informed enough to govern itself. Drawing on an incredible range of scholarship and experience, this book could not be more timely. Or urgently needed.---Lawrence Lessig, Harvard Law School,

Ripped straight from the headlines, but informed by hard data,#Republicshould command the attention of American citizens across the political spectrum.---Glenn C. Altschuler, Philadelphia Inquirer

Sunstein argues convincingly that for deliberative democracy to work, citizens must be in a position to consider a range of options.---Angelia R. Wilson, Times Higher Education

Listed on the 2017 War on the Rocks Holiday Reading List

#Republic is a timely reminder that unfettered control over the news we choose to consume is appealing, but when it results in partisan silos and rampant fake news, it can also make a deliberative democracy difficult to achieve.---Chayenne Polimedio, Washington Monthly

"The Internet has surely enhanced our democracy, with greater access to information and fewer barriers to connecting with each other. However, we're seeing the opposite today with more narrow-minded online platforms and communities, as evidenced by the impact of fake news on this past election.#Republicpointedly captures the risks of the ongoing evolution of social media to our democratic ideals."—Tyler Cowen, author ofThe Great Stagnation

"What went wrong with social media and also with democracy? Here's the guy who saw it coming, and yes he does have all the answers."—Lawrence Lessig, Harvard Law School

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	I
CONTENTS Publicly Available Download PDF	VII
Preface Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	IX
1. THE DAILY ME Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
2. AN ANALOGY AND AN IDEAL Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	31
3. POLARIZATION Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	59
4. CYBERCASCADES Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	98
5. SOCIAL GLUE AND SPREADING INFORMATION Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	137
6. CITIZENS Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	157
7. WHAT’S REGULATION? A PLEA Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	176
8. FREEDOM OF SPEECH Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	191
9. PROPOSALS Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	213
10. TERRORISM .COM Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	234
11. #REPUBLIC Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	252
Afterword to the Paperback Edition Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	263
Acknowledgments Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	269
Notes Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	271
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	293