Closed for Democracy

Every year over 1000 public schools are permanently closed across the United States. And yet little is known about their impacts on American democracy. Closed for Democracy is the rst book to systematically study the political causes and democratic consequences of mass public school closures in the United States. The book investigates the declining presence of public schools in large cities and their impacts on the Americans most directly affected poor Black citizens. It documents how these mass school closure policies target minority communities making them feel excluded from the public goods afforded to equal citizens. In response targeted communities become superlative participators to make their voices heard. Nevertheless the high costs and low responsiveness associated with the policy process undermines their faith in the power of political participation. Ultimately the book reveals that when schools shut down so too does Black citizens'' access to and belief in American democracy.