Uncivil Democracy

Uncivil Democracy investigates how the U.S.

civil justice system—and the severe lack of legal representation for low-income people—erodes trust in legal institutions and undermines democratic standing, especially for racially marginalized communities.

Drawing on national survey data, courtroom observation, and in-depth interviews focused on housing and eviction, the authors show that representation can mitigate harms but cannot by itself address structural sources of legal need.

The book highlights the racialized and gendered dynamics of civil legal problems and documents large state-by-state variation in access to justice across the federal system.

Michener and Sorelle foreground tenant organizing and community-based collective action as the most promising route to transform the conditions that generate legal precarity.

Combining policy feedback theory with rich qualitative evidence, the work offers both diagnosis and pathways for democratic renewal.