"Democracy's Reconstruction is a tremendous contribution to African American intellectual history and deserves wide readership." --Journal of American History "Bringing Du Bois to the fore as a political theorist is a fascinating task whose time has come for serious consideration. Balfour's book is especially worthy of note." --Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews "Lawrie Balfour's Democracy's Reconstruction represents a coming-of-age of American political theory. No longer can race or empire be pushed to the margin in any grasp of American political life--past or present. The genius and witness of Du Bois is indispensable for any serious political theorist in our time!" --Cornel West, University Professor in the Center for African American Studies, Princeton University "This book is an excellent contribution to a growing body of scholarship that takes W.E.B.

Du Bois seriously as a political philosopher. Balfour's engagement with Du Bois is richly insightful, and expertly brings his arguments into conversation with the writings of contemporary political theorists." --Robert Gooding-Williams, Professor of Political Science, The University of Chicago "Balfour's treatment of DuBois's writings and thought is both comprehensive and discerning. the book represents a refreshing reengagement with the power of DuBois's ideas." --E.C. Sands, Assistant Professor of Government and International Studies, Berry College "Democracy's Reconstruction triumphantly achieves the difficult tasks of bringing a central figure within black political thought into fruitful dialogue with contemporary political theory, while simultaneously showing how that dialogue illuminates the failings and potential found within current American political discourse. Balfour illustrates how contemporary theory can be sharpened and improved by coming into critical conversation with long neglected, but extremely rich, sectors of American thought.

"--Michael Dawson, John D. Rockefeller Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science, University of Chicago "Balfour's treatment of DuBois's writings and thought is both comprehensive and discerning. the book represents a refreshing reengagement with the power of DuBois's ideas." --CHOICE.