Civic groups are said to be the fount of democracy, but these vivid portraits of American life reveal an intriguing
culture of political avoidance. Nina Eliasoph accompanied volunteers, activists and recreation club members, listening
to them talk--and not talk--politics, in a range of private and public settings. Unlike interview-based studies
of political participation and civic culture, Avoiding Politics shows how citizens create and communicate
political ideas in everyday life, and the hard work it takes to produce apathy in a democracy.