American politics and government are so moribund, according to Erwin Jaffe, that serious political dialogue is a stranger in a land celebrated for freedom of expression. Healing the Body Politic examines the sources of this condition, among them the loss of connectedness (society's orientation toward mobility and its relative disinterest in place, neighborhood, and community), widespread misunderstanding of the distinction and relationship between power and violence, and a distorted image of political life and responsibility. This broad-based work examines these problems and proposes, both in theoretical and practical terms, a rethinking and rediscovery of political power and political life as the only viable solution.Drawing on a variety of fields, including traditional political theory, this work points the way to a restoration of American political life and our ability to cope once again with the problems of civil society. It will be of interest to scholars and students of political science, political theory, and American government.

Power, Political Life, and LanguageInitial Thoughts on PowerPolitics and AmbiguitySome Thoughts about ConnectionsLife without PoliticsComposition of Political Life: Power, Violence, Legitimacy, and AuthorityA Closer Look at FoundationsEmpowerment and Its MaintenanceMyth, Theory, Ideology: How We Attempt to Make Sense of Political LifeThe Political Process: How Things Work and What Makes Them WorkOverview of Our SituationRestoring the American PolityTired Images, Defunct Ideologies, Forgotten Games of RulesSearching for Political Life's Appropriate ImageryMetaphors for a New AgeThe Political ImperativeAppendix A: Interest GroupsAppendix B: Hannah Arendt's Metaphor: The "Normal" Plain or Field of Human Affairs