A return to common sense : how to fix America before we really blow it

A return to common sense How to fix America before we really blow it

Leigh McGowan

Book - 2024

"A political book for non-political people from viral TikTok sensation PoliticsGirl. Something's gone wrong in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. We can all feel it, but if we're being honest, most of us don't understand it. At the end of the day, we don't have all the facts, and if you don't know how something works, how do you fix it? A Return to Common Sense is a concise, no-nonsense, dare we say fun, guide to how America works and a roadmap to reclaiming a government of, by, and for the people. If we truly want to be a land of freedom and opportunity where everyone has a shot at a good life, we must acknowledge the ideals of America are in danger, but worth saving. We fought a revolutionary war... for the idea of self-governance and pursuit of happiness--we can't just give up on it now. To address the crisis, Leigh McGowan offers Six American Principles. Six ideals, rooted in history, that we can all agree make America, America. 1. America is a land of freedom. 2. Everyone should have the opportunity to rise. 3. Every citizen should have a vote, and that vote should count. 4. Representatives should represent the people who elected them. 5. The law applies to all of us. 6. Government should be a force for good. Using the Six Principles as guideposts, this book will lay out suggestions for America, to not only find its way out of the mess it's currently in, but to set a course for a future of which we can all be truly proud. It's time to find the courage to step out of our comfort zones and off our team benches to reboot America. If we start here, we start strong. We can fix this, but the way forward starts with understanding"--

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Subjects
Political culture > United States.
Political science > United States > Philosophy.
Human rights > United States.
Democracy > United States > Philosophy.
POLITICAL SCIENCE / Civics & Citizenship
POLITICAL SCIENCE / History & Theory
Published
New York : One Signal Publishers/Atria Books 2024.
Language
English
Main Author
Leigh McGowan (author)
Edition
First One Signal Publishers/Atria Books hardcover edition
Physical Description
293 pages ; 22 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 241-280) and index.
ISBN
9781668066430
9781668066447
  • Introduction
  • America 101: The US Government
  • The Six American Principles
  • Principle 1. America Is a Land of Freedom
  • Principle 2. Everyone Should Have the Opportunity to Rise
  • Principle 3. Every Citizen Should Have a Vote, and That Vote Should Count
  • Principle 4. Representatives Should Represent the People Who Voted for Them
  • Principle 5. The Law Applies to All of Us
  • Principle 6. Government Should Be a Force for Good
  • Afterword
  • Acknowledgments
  • Further Reading List
  • Notes
  • Index
Review by Kirkus Book Review

The creator of the popular PoliticsGirl media brand weighs in on the countless problems with the U.S. government and political system and how to fix some of them. Taking her cue from Thomas Paine, McGowan offers "Six American Principles" that offer Americans a way to free themselves from the tyranny of political dysfunction and rebuild a broken democracy. The first principle--America is the land of freedom--has undergirded the thinking of citizens and politicians for nearly 250 years. However, the author argues persuasively that some Americans, by virtue of race, class, and gender, are freer than others, and many of them actively use their power to oppress others. She traces the origins of this problem back to the white, land-owning, male framers and the documents they created as guidelines for the "American experiment." To ratify the Constitution, they made allowances for slavery, granted smaller states equal power in the Senate, and counted African Americans as three-fifths of a person. If racism, inequality, political gridlock, and corruption have overwhelmed the body politic, it is because they grew out of these exclusions and exceptions. The other principles McGowan brings forward--for example, that everyone should have the opportunity to rise and that the law applies to every single citizen, regardless of status--will remain ideals for as long as these issues go unresolved. She further observes that adherence to long-standing political traditions, including lifetime appointments for Supreme Court justices, must be reconsidered, even if that means amending the Constitution, which the framers intended as a "living document" for a developing nation. For true change to happen, American citizens must put aside their complacency and vote while actively holding those in power accountable: "The question is: Are we willing to work for it?" Accessible and urgent civic advice--hopefully, those who need it will pay attention. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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