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About this book
In 2016, Americans fed up with the political process vented that frustration with their votes. Republicans nominated for president a wealthy businessman and former reality show host best known on the campaign trail for his sharp rhetoric against immigration and foreign trade. Democrats nearly selected a self-described socialist who ran on a populist platform against the influence of big money in politics.
While it is not surprising that Americans would channel their frustrations into votes for contenders who pledge to end business as usual, the truth is that we don't have to pin our hopes for greater participation on any one candidate. All of us have a say—if we learn, master and practice the skills of effective citizenship.
One of the biggest roadblocks to participation in democracy is the perception that privileged citizens and special interests command the levers of power and that everyday Americans can't fight City Hall. That perception is undoubtedly why a 2015 Pew Charitable Trusts survey found that 74 percent of those Americans surveyed believed that most elected officials didn?t care what people like them thought.
Graham and Hand intend to change that conventional wisdom by showing citizens how to flex their citizenship muscles. They describe effective citizenship skills and provide tips from civic experts. Even more importantly, they offer numerous examples of everyday Americans who have used their skills to make democracy respond. The reader will see themselves in these examples of citizens who chose to be victorious participants rather than tranquil spectators in the arena of democracy. By the end of the book, you will have new confidence that citizen participation is the lifeblood of America -- and will be ready to make governments work for you, not the other way around.
While it is not surprising that Americans would channel their frustrations into votes for contenders who pledge to end business as usual, the truth is that we don't have to pin our hopes for greater participation on any one candidate. All of us have a say—if we learn, master and practice the skills of effective citizenship.
One of the biggest roadblocks to participation in democracy is the perception that privileged citizens and special interests command the levers of power and that everyday Americans can't fight City Hall. That perception is undoubtedly why a 2015 Pew Charitable Trusts survey found that 74 percent of those Americans surveyed believed that most elected officials didn?t care what people like them thought.
Graham and Hand intend to change that conventional wisdom by showing citizens how to flex their citizenship muscles. They describe effective citizenship skills and provide tips from civic experts. Even more importantly, they offer numerous examples of everyday Americans who have used their skills to make democracy respond. The reader will see themselves in these examples of citizens who chose to be victorious participants rather than tranquil spectators in the arena of democracy. By the end of the book, you will have new confidence that citizen participation is the lifeblood of America -- and will be ready to make governments work for you, not the other way around.
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Yes, you can access America, the Owner′s Manual by Bob Graham,Chris Hand in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Politics & International Relations & American Government. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.
Information
Edition
2Subtopic
American GovernmentTable of contents
- Cover
- Acknowledgements
- Half Title
- Publisher Note
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Acknowledgements
- About the Authors
- Contents
- Preface
- Prologue Green Tea1
- Introduction In the Arena
- 1 What’s Your Problem? Defining the Challenge That Active Citizenship Can Solve
- 2 Just the Facts, Ma’am Gathering Information to Sway Decision Makers1
- 3 The Buck Stops Where? Identifying Who in Government Can Fix Your Problem
- 4 Testing the Waters Gauging and Building Public Support for Your Cause1
- 5 Winning Friends and Influencing People How to Persuade the Decision Maker
- 6 Timing Is Everything Using the Calendar to Achieve Your Goals1
- 7 All for One, and One for All Coalitions for Citizen Success1
- 8 All Your News Is Fit to Print Engaging the Media1
- 9 The Price of Progress Finding the Resources to Support Your Initiative
- 10 You’ve Won! You’ve Lost Preserving Victory and Learning from Defeat
- Index