Whereas the economic importance of culture enjoys considerable attention in the urban literature, the "cultural turn" is emerging in urban political studies in an uneven fashion. Can Tocqueville Karaoke? Global Contrast of Citizen Participation, the Arts and Development is a welcome contribution, providing a series of comparisons of citizens' democratic participation associated with the arts and cultural activities in North and South America, Europe, and Asia. The book, in three sections, includes studies carried out over the years by local teams in different cities of the world. It combines qualitative and quantitative sources andmethods with detailed tables, graphs, and maps. ...