James Davison Hunter’s Democracy and Solidarity: On the Cultural Roots of America's Political Crisis offers a deep analysis of the underlying cultural causes behind America’s current political dysfunction. Hunter, a sociologist known for coining the term “culture wars,” argues that the crisis facing American democracy is fundamentally cultural rather than merely political or policy-driven36.
Contradictions in Liberal Democracy
American liberal democracy has always contained contradictions—especially between its ideals (freedom, justice, equality) and their imperfect realization in practice16.
Historically, despite dissent and even violence, there existed an evolving sense of solidarity rooted in what Hunter calls America’s “hybrid Enlightenment”—a blend of Enlightenment rationalism and religious moral authority146.
The Dissolution of Solidarity
Hunter contends that the cultural resources that once underpinned national solidarity have largely dissolved136.
The most visible symptom is deepening political polarization, but Hunter insists the real crisis is the loss of shared cultural foundations that once enabled Americans to work through differences36.
Without these cultural resources, the logic of division and outrage fills the void, making reconciliation and unity much harder36.
Solidarity as a Cultural Prerequisite
Hunter reframes solidarity not as a simple willingness to come together, but as the presence of cultural and normative resources that make unity possible in the first place3.
He argues Americans have not lost the desire for unity, but rather the shared cultural frameworks necessary to achieve it3.
American culture has long balanced Enlightenment values (reason, deliberation, neutral institutions) with religious convictions (moral order, covenantal identity, and faith-driven social movements)4.
Each generation has negotiated this tension differently, with figures like John Dewey championing secular rationalism and others like Reinhold Niebuhr emphasizing the enduring need for religious moral grounding4.
Today, both left and right have largely abandoned the pursuit of solidarity through persuasion or compromise, instead succumbing to the logic of the “culture wars”3.
Hunter sees the current moment as one in which the deep structures of American public culture—those that once fostered a sense of common good—are fractured36.
Hunter raises the question of whether liberal democracy, an Enlightenment-era institution, can survive in a post-Enlightenment world where its supporting cultural foundations have eroded26.
He suggests that all political regimes require some level of unity; if it cannot be generated organically through shared culture, it risks being imposed by force16.
The book concludes with a call for a “paradigm shift within liberal democracy itself” to rebuild or reinvent the cultural resources necessary for solidarity and democratic health3.
Reviewers highlight Hunter’s analysis as urgent, provocative, and essential for understanding the deeper roots of America’s political crisis348.
David Brooks, writing in the New York Times, praises the book for illuminating how America’s political direction is shaped by its cultural foundations and basic moral assumptions4.
| Theme | Hunter’s Argument |
|---|---|
| Nature of Crisis | Fundamentally cultural, not just political or policy-driven |
| Historic Source of Solidarity | “Hybrid Enlightenment”: Enlightenment values + religious moral authority |
| Current Problem | Loss of shared cultural resources for solidarity |
| Symptoms | Polarization, culture wars, public anger, loss of common good |
| Way Forward | Rebuild deep cultural structures; paradigm shift in liberal democracy |
Hunter’s Democracy and Solidarity contends that America’s political crisis cannot be solved by policy or political will alone. The nation must reckon with the loss of its cultural foundations—those that once enabled solidarity amidst diversity. Without restoring or reinventing these cultural resources, the future of American democracy remains uncertain136.