to address these concerns, she returned to academia to study philosophy. she received a master's degree in philosophy from the university of wisconsin-madison in 1990, the same year she became associate editor of the "kettering review". she went on to receive her doctorate in philosophy from the university of texas at austin in 1998. mcafee's research gave her cause to believe that democratic self-government is in fact possible, and within a few years of her first book she resumed her research and engagement in democratic practice, including new work in new media, and post-conflict democratization.