Jimmy Carter’s 1979 crisis of confidence speech, and George W. Bush’s 2005 speech in defense of the war in Iraq. Taken together, these speeches are a rather ignominious bunch, strategic rhetorical acts characterized by political weak- ness and, at least for the first two, remembered historically as controversial, failed, or both. This observation would at least casually suggest a linkage between political context and invocation, one that this book does not address but that future scholars should. In sum, Speaking with the People’s Voice is a useful addition to the ongoing conversation about how, why, and to what effect presidents speak as they do. Scholars interested in this debate, and particularly in learning more about the arguments made by the humanists involved in it, would do well to study it carefully. JUSTIN S. VAUGHN Boise State University The Civic Imagination: Making a Difference in American Political Life by Gianpaolo Baiocchi, Elizabeth A. Bennett, Alissa Cordner, Peter Taylor Klein, and Stephanie Savell. Boulder, CO, Paradigm Publishers, 2014. 184 pp. Cloth, $150.00; paper, $33.95. This book makes an important contribution to our understanding of the complex “imaginations” that ordinary citizens bring to their involvement in public life, as innovative for its content as for the way in which the book was researched and written. As trust in government has declined, many scholars have documented the shift away from traditional, electoral forms of partici- pation in public life. Yet few have provided the kind of rich, nuanced look at the ways in which ordinary people continue to work to improve their communities. This ethnographic account of citizen involvement in Provi- dence, Rhode Island, provides just that. The authors map the distinct theories of change in public life that people bring to the table, showing how these “civic imaginations” shape the choices they make about why and how to get involved. The authors take as their starting point the observation that even as many people disavow “politics,” they are continually looking forward to identify ways to improve their society. As people think prospectively about what their worlds could be and take action to realize that vision, they engage in a process of meaning making that the authors describe with their concept of “civic imagi- nation.” These civic imaginations give meaning to the public work that people do by imbuing it with purpose and value. Why is it important to take action? The kinds of purpose and value that people identify also shape the strategies BOOK REVIEWS | 173 Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/psq/article/130/1/173/6849061 by guest on 13 January 2023