Uncivil Democracy: How Access to Justice Shapes Political Power by Michener, Jamila
Uncivil Democracy: How Access to Justice Shapes Political Power by Michener, Jamila

Uncivil Democracy: How Access to Justice Shapes Political Power

How the civil legal system undermines the political lives of marginalized communities Each year, as many as...
$71.31 USD
$119.99 USD
$71.31 USD
Please hurry! Only 17 left in stock
Author: Jamila Michener
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Subtotal: $71.31
Uncivil Democracy: How Access to Justice Shapes Political Power by Michener, Jamila

Uncivil Democracy: How Access to Justice Shapes Political Power

$119.99 $71.31
Uncivil Democracy: How Access to Justice Shapes Political Power by Michener, Jamila

Uncivil Democracy: How Access to Justice Shapes Political Power

$119.99 $71.31
Author: Jamila Michener
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Description

How the civil legal system undermines the political lives of marginalized communities

Each year, as many as 250 million Americans face civil legal problems like eviction, debt collection, and substandard housing. These problems are disproportionately shouldered by racially and economically marginalized people, particularly women of color. Civil courts and legal aid organizations are supposed to protect their rights, yet more than 90 percent of low-income people receive inadequate or no legal assistance. Instead, access to justice is reserved for those who can afford its high price. For those who can't, the repercussions can be devastating, from homelessness and loss of public benefits to broken families and diminished health. Uncivil Democracy looks at the US civil justice system through the eyes of the people whose very citizenship is indelibly shaped by it.

Jamila Michener and Mallory SoRelle show how civil legal problems, and the institutions meant to address them, greatly erode trust in the legal system among marginalized communities, undermining their broader sense of democratic citizenship and political standing. While legal representation offers vital protections, increased access to justice through an ever-growing supply of lawyers does not address the structural problems that generate demand for lawyers in the first place. Looking at cases involving unfair evictions and substandard housing, Michener and SoRelle demonstrate how community groups such as tenants' unions can fill this justice gap and provide the means to build political power that transforms the conditions that create precarity.

Drawing on eye-opening qualitative evidence and a wealth of historical and survey data, Uncivil Democracy explains why collective organizing holds the greatest promise for altering the systems that create civil legal problems and exercising the political power necessary for meaningful change.

Author: Jamila Michener,Mallory E. Sorelle
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Published: 01/27/2026
Pages: 280
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.23lbs
Size: 9.30h x 6.10w x 1.20d
ISBN: 9780691264462

About the Author
Jamila Michener is associate professor of government and public policy at Cornell University and the author of Fragmented Democracy: Medicaid, Federalism, and Unequal Politics. Mallory E. SoRelle is the Tony and Teddie Brown Associate Professor of Public Policy at Duke University and the author of Democracy Declined: The Failed Politics of Consumer Financial Protection.
Shipping & Return

Returns Policy

You may return most new, unopened items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. We'll also pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.).

You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).

If you need to return an item, simply login to your account, view the order using the "Complete Orders" link under the My Account menu and click the Return Item(s) button. We'll notify you via e-mail of your refund once we've received and processed the returned item.

Shipping

We can ship to virtually any address in the world. Note that there are restrictions on some products, and some products cannot be shipped to international destinations.

When you place an order, we will estimate shipping and delivery dates for you based on the availability of your items and the shipping options you choose. Depending on the shipping provider you choose, shipping date estimates may appear on the shipping quotes page.

Please also note that the shipping rates for many items we sell are weight-based. The weight of any such item can be found on its detail page. To reflect the policies of the shipping companies we use, all weights will be rounded up to the next full pound.

Review