To defeat demagogues like Donald Trump, citizens must vote to defend democracy, otherwise it will not be there to defend them. Taking off from Max Weber's 'Vocation Lectures,' David Ricci's Defending Democracy therefore explores the idea of 'citizenship as a vocation,' which is a commitment to defending democracy by supporting leaders who will govern according to the Declaration of Independence's self-evident truths rather than animosity and polarizations. He examines the condition of democracy in states where it is endangered and where modern technology – television, internet, smart phones, social media, etc. – provides so much information and disinformation that we sometimes lack the common sense to reject candidates who have no business in politics. Arguing for the practice of good citizenship, Ricci observes that as citizens we have become the rulers of modern societies, in which case we have to fulfill our democratic responsibilities if society is to prosper.

‘In the wake of Donald Trump’s election, David Ricci calls upon Americans to stop moaning and groaning but instead wake up and act as citizens again. If the United States is to maintain its democracy, its people must draw from their traditions to fight encroaching autocracy. It won’t be easy, but as this eminently readable and well researched book shows us, it is possible. For those in despair over America’s present predicament, Ricci offers an analysis and way forward to restoring a democracy that is in danger of being lost.’

Steven R. David - Johns Hopkins University

‘Defending Democracy is a call for citizen action to restore common sense at a time when the public sphere is fragmented by a technologically enhanced notion that every opinion is equally valid in politics. David Ricci's writing is enormously erudite, full of historically informed wisdom, and nevertheless highly accessible and thought-provoking. The book will outlast the Trump presidency, as it points to deeper problems with current democracy and society.’

Peter Wagner - Catalan Institute for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA) and University of Barcelona