Democracy in retrograde How to make changes big and small in our country and in our lives
Book - 2024
"In today's political climate, it's hard not to get discouraged. Isolated, doom scrolling, lacking a sense of purpose or community... it's easy to become overwhelmed by the dire state of American democracy and do nothing, because why try when the odds are never in our favor? At this fragile moment in history, Emily Amick, lawyer and former counsel to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, alongside New York Times bestselling author and Betches Media cofounder Sami Sage, want to reframe civic engagement as a form of self-care: an assertion of one's values and self-respect. This book is not just about voting, but about claiming your singular place in your country and community"--
Location | Call Number | Status | |
---|---|---|---|
2nd Floor New Shelf | 323.042/Sage | (NEW SHELF) |
On Holdshelf
+1 Hold |
2nd Floor New Shelf | 323.042/Sage | (NEW SHELF) | Checked In |
2nd Floor EXPRESS shelf | 323.042/Sage | Checked In |
- Subjects
- Published
-
New York :
Gallery Books
2024.
- Language
- English
- Main Author
- Other Authors
- Edition
- First Gallery Books hardcover edition
- Physical Description
- 246 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm
- Bibliography
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 242-246).
- ISBN
- 9781668053485
- Section 1. Introduction
- Why We're Here
- If You're Thinking, Civics? Really?
- Initial Reflection Exercise
- Section 2. Democracy in Retrograde
- Why Helping Democracy Will Also Give You a More Meaningful Life
- On Democracy: A Work in Progress
- Polarized, Calcified, and Exhausted
- Hopelessness Is a Civic Engagement Killer
- Reflection Exercise
- Section 3. So, What Can We Do?
- Action Is the Antidote to Despair
- Developing Your Personal Mission Statement
- Section 4. Your Civic Personality
- What Is a Civic Personality?
- Civic Personality Quiz
- Leaders / FIRE
- Givers / EARTH
- Connectors / WATER
- Creators / AIR
- Section 5. An Action Plan to Get Started
- Audit Your News Consumption
- Create Your Civic Calendar
- Build a Civic Network Without "Networking"
- How to Lobby Elected Officials Without Spending a Dollar
- Having Challenging Conversations About Politics
- Tips on Raising Children with a Heart for Civic Engagement
- Bringing It All Together
- Section 6. The Future is Written by Us, Not in the Stars
- 10 Rules for Political Action When We're All Very Busy and Exhausted
- Section 7. Additional Resources
- Book Club Discussion Guide
- How the Government Works
- Lesson 1: Are We a Democracy or a Republic?
- Lesson 2: The Nesting Dolls of Government: Local, State, and National
- Lesson 3: The Constitution and the Three Branches of Government
- The Legislative Branch
- The Executive Branch
- The Judicial Branch
- Lesson 4: You Can't Do That: Checks and Balances
- Lesson 5: State and Local Politics: Who are these People?
- How Much Power Do These State Legislatures Actually Have?
- Election Day Efficiency: Referendums and Initiatives
- Lesson 6: Where Do Laws Come From?
- Lesson 7: How Special Interests Work the System
- Neutralizing the Impacts of Corporate Lobbying
- Acknowledgments
- Endnotes
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Review by Kirkus Book Review