subject results for "Democracy — United States."

On Tyranny

Snyder, Timothy — Tue, 31 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT

In previous books, Holocaust historian Timothy Snyder dissected the events and values that enabled the rise of Hitler and Stalin and the execution of their catastrophic policies. With Twenty Lessons, Snyder draws from the darkest hours of the twentieth century to provide hope for the twenty-first. As he writes, "Americans are no wiser than the Europeans who saw democracy yield to fascism, Nazism and communism. Our one advantage is that we might learn from their experience"--Publisher's description.

On Tyranny

Snyder, Timothy — Sun, 31 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

The author argues that American society is leaning toward despotism and totalitarianism and looks back at the 20th century for examples of how totalitarianism has taken over before.

On Tyranny

Snyder, Timothy — Tue, 31 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A “bracing” (Vox) guide for surviving and resisting America’s turn towards authoritarianism, from “a rising public intellectual unafraid to make bold connections between past and present” (The New York Times)
“Timothy Snyder reasons with unparalleled clarity, throwing the past and future into sharp relief. He has written the rare kind of book that can be read in one sitting but will keep you coming back to help regain your bearings.”—Masha Gessen
The Founding Fathers tried to protect us from the threat they knew, the tyranny that overcame ancient democracy. Today, our political order faces new threats, not unlike the totalitarianism of the twentieth century. We are no wiser than the Europeans who saw democracy yield to fascism, Nazism, or communism. Our one advantage is that we might learn from their experience.
On Tyranny is a call to arms and a guide to resistance, with invaluable ideas for how we can preserve our freedoms in the uncertain years to come.

Giving up Is Unforgivable

Vance, Joyce — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT

"The first book from Joyce White Vance: equal parts civics class, history lesson, and call to save the Republic, Giving Up Is Unforgivable is a political manifesto for our present moment. 'We're in this together.' For the past two years, Joyce Vance has signed off posts on her chart-topping Substack, Civil Discourse, with these four words. In that time, she's guided readers through a continued erosion of democratic norms, the unprecedented felony conviction of an ex-president, and the approaching specter of a second Trump administration. Now that it's upon us, Vance helps us understand how to avoid burnout and despair and exercise the democratic muscles we need to save the Republic. Giving Up Is Unforgivable is a clarion call to action--putting our current crisis in historical context and sketching out a vision for where we go next. Vance's message is hopeful at its heart, even as it acknowledges the daunting challenges that lie ahead. She is the constitutional law professor you never knew you needed, explaining the legal context, the political history, and the practical reasons that the rule of law still matters, while also empowering you to do something--from the small (that conversation you've been meaning to have with your uncle or volunteering for your favorite political cause) to the big (starting a grassroots movement or running for political office). Consider this the birth of a countermovement to Project 2025, a rallying cry for citizen engagement to counter the second Trump administration and save American democracy"-- Provided by publisher.

We the People

Lepore, Jill — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT

"The U.S. Constitution is among the oldest constitutions in the world but also one of the most difficult to amend. Jill Lepore, Harvard professor of history and law, explains why in We the People, the most original history of the Constitution in decades--and an essential companion to her landmark history of the United States, These Truths. Published on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding--the anniversary, too, of the first state constitutions--We the People offers a wholly new history of the Constitution" -- Book jacket.

We the People

Lepore, Jill — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT

ONE OF PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA'S FAVORITE BOOKS OF 2025
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR
Named one of the Best Books of the Year by the Washington Post, New Yorker, Smithsonian, Bookpage, and the Chicago Public Library
Longlisted for the 2025 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction

"[Lepore's] 15th book, We the People, a history of the U.S. Constitution, may be her best yet, a capacious work that lands at the right moment, like a life buoy, as our ship of state takes on water." —Hamilton Cain, Los Angeles Times
From the best-selling author of These Truths comes We the People, a stunning new history of the U.S. Constitution, for a troubling new era.

The U.S. Constitution is among the oldest constitutions in the world but also one of the most difficult to amend. Jill Lepore, Harvard professor of history and law, explains why in We the People, the most original history of the Constitution in decades—and an essential companion to her landmark history of the United States, These Truths.

Published on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding—the anniversary, too, of the first state constitutions—We the People offers a wholly new history of the Constitution. "One of the Constitution's founding purposes was to prevent change," Lepore writes. "Another was to allow for change without violence." Relying on the extraordinary database she has assembled at the Amendments Project, Lepore recounts centuries of attempts, mostly by ordinary Americans, to realize the promise of the Constitution. Yet nearly all those efforts have failed. Although nearly twelve thousand amendments have been introduced in Congress since 1789, and thousands more have been proposed outside its doors, only twenty-seven have ever been ratified. More troubling, the Constitution has not been meaningfully amended since 1971. Without recourse to amendment, she argues, the risk of political violence rises. So does the risk of constitutional change by presidential or judicial fiat.

Challenging both the Supreme Court's monopoly on constitutional interpretation and the flawed theory of "originalism," Lepore contends in this "gripping and unfamiliar story of our own past" that the philosophy of amendment is foundational to American constitutionalism. The framers never intended for the Constitution to be preserved, like a butterfly, under glass, Lepore argues, but expected that future generations would be forever tinkering with it, hoping to mend America by amending its Constitution through an orderly deliberative and democratic process.

Lepore's remarkable history seeks, too, to rekindle a sense of constitutional possibility. Congressman Jamie Raskin writes that Lepore "has thrown us a lifeline, a way of seeing the Constitution neither as an authoritarian straitjacket nor a foolproof magic amulet but as the arena of fierce, logical, passionate, and often deadly struggle for a more perfect union." At a time when the Constitution's vulnerability is all too evident, and the risk of political violence all too real, We the People, with its shimmering prose and pioneering research, hints at the prospects for a better constitutional future, an amended America.

Storm at the Capitol

Jalonick, Mary Clare — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

"The January 6th insurrection was a stunning and unprecedented attack on the center of American government. Unlike previous national traumas that united the country in the face of turmoil, the siege has only further divided Americans, as many continue to dispute the facts and downplay its significance. In Storm at the Capitol, Mary Clare Jalonick delivers a deeply reported and definitive account of the violence at the Capitol told through firsthand narratives-from the rioters themselves and the police who fought them, to the lawmakers who fled the violence, and the staff, workers, and reporters who were there that day, including Jalonick herself. Her retelling begins in the predawn hours of January 6th, as Trump's supporters travel to Washington, some with plans for violence, and ends in the early morning hours of January 7th, after Vice President Mike Pence slams his gavel on the House rostrum and declares Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 presidential election. A vivid, terrifying, and human portrait, Storm at the Capitol is a riveting read for anyone who is worried about the future of our democracy"-- Provided by publisher.

The Last American President

Hartmann, Thom — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Hartmann examines the structural and systemic factors that contributed to Donald Trump's rise to the presidency, arguing that his leadership reflects deeper flaws in American democracy. He explores themes such as political dysfunction, corporate influence, and global challenges, while warning of potential consequences for democratic governance and environmental stability. Based on research and analysis, the work presents a critical perspective on the future of U.S. politics.

A Protest History of the United States

Browne-Marshall, Gloria J. — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT

"Exploring 400 years of protest and resistance in US history-and what the unsung heroes of social movements past can teach us about navigating our chaotic world"-- Provided by publisher.

Money, Lies, and God

Stewart, Katherine — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT

The book investigates the coalition of religious extremists, political operatives, and ideological opportunists working to undermine democratic institutions in the U.S..

White Rural Rage

Schaller, Thomas F. — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT

"It's an open secret that voters in smaller, less populous states have more electoral power than their urban counterparts, so why are these same voters the most eager to leave behind democratic principles? In Held Hostage, political scientists Thomas Schaller and Paul Waldman explore why, with all of this extra influence, these same voters fail to see real benefits, for instance suffering worse health and education outcomes than larger states, and why they are the most likely to rage against the democratic project the moment elections stop going their way. This is the patriotic paradox of rural America: The rural citizens who take such pride in their patriotism are least likely to defend core American principles, even when the system itself is set up in their favor. If the commitment to American democracy of this exalted minority crumbles, can the US itself survive? Thanks to the extra weight smaller states enjoy, the past two Republican presidents entered the White House despite losing the popular vote. Senate malapportionment is even worse. By 2040, just 30 percent of the population, concentrated in smaller and more rural states, will elect 70 senators. This skewed dynamic is already changing policy outcomes--scuttling nationally popular bills in the Senate and distorting the balance of the courts--but there's a puzzling contradiction inherent in this rural privilege. Voters there believe the nation has failed them, and to some degree, they're right. With on-the-ground reporting from five very different rural counties spread across the country, Held Hostage offers unique insights into how the struggles and resentments of rural people ripple out to determine the kind of country we all live in. Schaller and Waldman critique the structures in place that have led to this imbalance, but they also provocatively criticize rural voters and states themselves for the choices they've made on behalf of themselves and the country. And, they point the way toward a political reimagining that would not only offer a better future for rural people, but make it possible for rural America to stop dragging the rest of the country down"-- Provided by publisher.

Network of Lies

Stelter, Brian — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Featuring unbelievable behind-the-scenes details, the author, using his signature investigative prowess, exposes Fox News' blatant attempts to manipulate the truth, mislead the public and influence our elections, showing the insidious ways the media is damaging our democracy.

Hiding in Plain Sight

Kendzior, Sarah — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

From New York Times bestselling author Sarah Kendzior comes the bitingly honest examination of the calculated rise to power of Donald Trump since the 1980s and the erosion of American liberty.

Weapons of Math Destruction

O'Neil, Cathy — Sun, 31 Jan 2016 00:00:00 GMT

We live in the age of the algorithm. Increasingly, the decisions that affect our lives--where we go to school, whether we get a car loan, how much we pay for health insurance--are being made not by humans, but by mathematical models. In theory, this should lead to greater fairness: Everyone is judged according to the same rules, and bias is eliminated. But as Cathy O'Neil reveals in this urgent and necessary book, the opposite is true. The models being used today are opaque, unregulated, and uncontestable, even when they're wrong. Most troubling, they reinforce discrimination: If a poor student can't get a loan because a lending model deems him too risky (by virtue of his zip code), he's then cut off from the kind of education that could pull him out of poverty, and a vicious spiral ensues. Models are propping up the lucky and punishing the downtrodden, creating a 'toxic cocktail for democracy.' Welcome to the dark side of Big Data. Tracing the arc of a person's life, O'Neil exposes the black box models that shape our future, both as individuals and as a society. These 'weapons of math destruction' score teachers and students, sort résumés, grant (or deny) loans, evaluate workers, target voters, set parole, and monitor our health. O'Neil calls on modelers to take more responsibility for their algorithms and on policy makers to regulate their use. But in the end, it's up to us to become more savvy about the models that govern our lives. This important book empowers us to ask the tough questions, uncover the truth, and demand change.

Money, Lies, and God

Stewart, Katherine — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY FOREIGN AFFAIRS

From the acclaimed author of The Power Worshippers, "an indispensable citizen's guide to the anti-democratic MAGA Right." -Congressman Jamie Raskin
"An eerily prescient guide to the phantasmagoria of our political moment." -Jennifer Szalai, The New York Times

"Meticulously researched, elegantly written, and hard-hitting."–Kristin Kobes Du Mez

Why have so many Americans turned against democracy? In this deeply reported book, Katherine Stewart takes us to conferences of conspiracy-mongers, backroom strategy gatherings, and services at extremist churches, and profiles the people who want to tear it all down. She introduces us to reactionary Catholic activists, atheist billionaires, pseudo-Platonist intellectuals, self-appointed apostles of Jesus, disciples of Ayn Rand, women-hating opponents of "the gynocracy," pronatalists preoccupied with the dearth of white babies, Covid truthers, militia members masquerading as "concerned moms," and battalions of spirit warriors who appear to be inventing a new style of religion even as they set about attacking democracy at its foundations.
Along the way, she provides a compelling analysis of the authoritarian reaction in the United States. She demonstrates that the movement relies on several distinct constituencies, with very different and often conflicting agendas. Stewart's reporting and comprehensive political analysis helps reframe the conversation about the moral collapse of conservatism in America and points the way toward a democratic future.

Weapons of Math Destruction

O'Neil, Cathy — Sun, 31 Jan 2016 00:00:00 GMT

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A former Wall Street quant sounds the alarm on Big Data and the mathematical models that threaten to rip apart our social fabric—with a new afterword

“A manual for the twenty-first-century citizen . . . relevant and urgent.”—Financial Times

NATIONAL BOOK AWARD LONGLIST • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times Book Review • The Boston Globe • Wired • Fortune • Kirkus Reviews • The Guardian • Nature • On Point

We live in the age of the algorithm. Increasingly, the decisions that affect our lives—where we go to school, whether we can get a job or a loan, how much we pay for health insurance—are being made not by humans, but by machines. In theory, this should lead to greater fairness: Everyone is judged according to the same rules.

But as mathematician and data scientist Cathy O’Neil reveals, the mathematical models being used today are unregulated and uncontestable, even when they’re wrong. Most troubling, they reinforce discrimination—propping up the lucky, punishing the downtrodden, and undermining our democracy in the process. Welcome to the dark side of Big Data.

Keeping the Faith

Wineapple, Brenda — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT

"In 1925, hundreds of people descended on the sleepy town of Dayton, Tennessee, where a young schoolteacher named John T. Scopes was put on trial for including a reference to evolution in his teaching. Darwin's concept that species evolved over time through natural selection was misunderstood as challenging the Bible, faith in God, and as suggesting that men were descended from monkeys. Two legendary men, Clarence Darrow for the defense, and William Jennings Bryan for the prosecution, drew massive crowds in a trial that quickly became a circus-like media sensation. Darrow argued for individual freedom including in religion and education, and Bryan argued from a fundamentalist Christian perspective that evolution undermined faith in God and the literal truth of the Bible. Acclaimed historian Brenda Wineapple brings to vivid life the entirety of this dramatic and colorful period that exposed foundation divisions in America across race, class, and religion. Bryan had run several times, unsuccessfully, for President, and his political efforts and ambitions, vividly chronicled in this book, culminated in Dayton. Darrow was a leader of the ACLU and known as a fervent defender of laborers, and his long history of legal defense in matters of individual rights also reached its apogee in this trial of the century. In his defense of Scopes and the First Amendment protection of individual liberty, Darrow said: 'No subject possesses the minds of men like religious bigotry, and hate, and these fires are being lighted today in America'"-- Provided by publisher.

On Freedom

Snyder, Timothy — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Timothy Snyder has been called "the leading interpreter of our dark times." As a historian, he has given us startling reinterpretations of political collapse and mass killing. As a public intellectual, he has turned that knowledge toward counsel and prediction, working against authoritarianism here and abroad. His book On Tyranny has inspired millions around the world to fight for freedom. Now, in this tour de force of political philosophy, he helps us see exactly what we're fighting for. Freedom is the great American commitment, but as Snyder argues, we have lost sight of what it means--and this is leading us into crisis. Too many of us look at freedom as the absence of state power: We think we're free if we can do and say as we please, and protect ourselves from government overreach. But true freedom isn't so much freedom from as freedom to--the freedom to thrive, to take risks for futures we choose by working together. Freedom is the value that makes all other values possible. On Freedom takes us on a thrilling intellectual journey. Drawing on the work of philosophers and political dissidents, conversations with contemporary thinkers, and his own experiences coming of age in a time of American exceptionalism, Snyder identifies the practices and attitudes--the habits of mind--that will allow us to design a government in which we and future generations can flourish. We come to appreciate the importance of traditions (championed by the right) but also the role of institutions (the purview of the left). Intimate yet ambitious, this book helps forge a new consensus rooted in a politics of abundance, generosity, and grace.

The Bill of Obligations

Haass, Richard — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT

"A bold guide to how we must re-envision citizenship if American democracy is to survive The United States faces dangerous threats from Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, terrorists, climate change, and future pandemics, but the greatest peril to the country comes not from abroad but from within, from none other than ourselves. The question facing us is whether we are prepared to do what is necessary to save our democracy. The Bill of Obligations is a bold call for change. In these pages, New York Times bestselling author Richard Haass argues that the very idea of citizenship must be revised and expanded if American democracy is to endure. The Bill of Rights is at the center of our Constitution, yet our most intractable conflicts often emerge from contrasting views as to what our rights ought to be. As former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer pointed out, "Many of our cases, the most difficult cases, are not about right versus wrong. They are about right versus right." Rights alone, however, do not provide a strong enough foundation for a democracy to succeed in the twenty-first century. But there is a cure: to place obligations on the same footing with rights. The ten obligations that Haass introduces here are essential for healing our divisions and safeguarding the future of our country. These obligations re-envision what it means to be an American citizen. They are not a burden, but rather commitments that we make to fellow citizens and to the government to uphold our democracy and fight back against the growing apathy, anger, selfishness, and division that threaten us all. Through an expert blend of civics, history, and political analysis, this book illuminates how Americans can rediscover and recover the attitudes and behaviors that have contributed so much to this country's success over the centuries. As Richard Haass argues, "We get the government and the country we deserve. Getting the one we need, however, is up to us." The Bill of Obligations gives citizens across the political spectrum a plan of action to achieve it"-- Provided by publisher.

Democracy's Discontent

Sandel, Michael J. — Mon, 31 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT

"Twenty-five years after his prescient Democracy's Discontent, Michael Sandel updates his classic work for our more fractious age. He shows how, since the 1990s, Democrats and Republicans embraced a market faith that led to the toxic politics of our time. To rescue democracy, he argues, we must reimagine the economy and revitalize the civic project"-- Provided by publisher.

The Persuaders

Giridharadas, Anand — Mon, 31 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT

"An insider account of activists, politicians, educators, and everyday citizens working to change minds, bridge divisions, and save democracy"-- Provided by publisher

Un-Trumping America

Pfeiffer, Dan — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

There is nothing more important than beating Donald Trump in 2020, but defeating Trump is just the start of this timely book. Un-Trumping America offers readers three critical insights: first, Trump is not an aberration, but rather the logical extension of the modern Republican Party; second, how Democrats can defeat Trump in 2020; and third, preventing the likes of Trump from ever happening again with a plan to fix democracy. While the catalog of the president's crimes is long and growing, undoing Trumpism -- the political platform of racism, authoritarianism, and plutocracy that gave rise to Trump and defines the Republican Party -- is a long and continuing fight. Through a craven, cynical strategy engineered by Mitch McConnell, funded by the Kochs, and fueled by Fox News propaganda, Republicans have rigged American politics to drown out the voices of the people in favor of the powerful. Without an aggressive response that recognizes who the Republicans are and what they have done, American democracy as we know it won't survive this moment and a conservative, shrinking, mostly white minority will govern the country for decades. Un-Trumping America dismantles toxic Trumpism and offers a way forward. Dan Pfeiffer worked for nearly twenty years at the center of Democratic politics, from the campaign trail to Capitol Hill to Barack Obama's White House. But it was Trump's victory and Republicans' incessant aiding and abetting of Trumpism that has radicalized his thinking. Here, Pfeiffer urges Democrats to embrace bold solutions -- from fixing the courts to abolishing the electoral college to eliminating the filibuster -- in order to make America more democratic (and Democratic). Un-Trumping America is a powerful call for Democrats and progressives to get smarter, tougher, and more aggressive without becoming a paler shade of orange.

Democracy in One Book or Less

Litt, David — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Citing the increased voting restrictions and fall in competitive Congressional districts behind major changes to democracy in America, the former White House speechwriter and author of Thanks, Obama outlines strategies for reclaiming representation for all citizens.

Democracy Unchained

Fri, 31 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

The presidential election of 2016 highlighted some long-standing flaws in American democracy and added a few new ones. Across the political spectrum, most Americans do not believe that democracy is delivering on its promises of fairness, justice, shared prosperity, or security in a changing world. The nation cannot even begin to address climate change and economic justice if it remains paralyzed by political gridlock. Democracy Unchained is about making American democracy work to solve problems that have long impaired our system of governance. The book is the collective work of thirty of the most perceptive writers, practitioners, scientists, educators, and journalists writing today, who are committed to moving the political conversation from the present anger and angst to the positive and constructive change necessary to achieve the full promise of a durable democracy that works for everyone and protects our common future. Including essays by Yascha Mounk on populism, Chisun Lee on money and politics, Ras Baraka on building democracy from the ground up, and Bill McKibben on climate, Democracy Unchained is the articulation of faith in democracy and will be required reading for all who are working to make democracy a reality.

How Democracies Die

Levitsky, Steven — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Donald Trump's presidency has raised a question that many of us never thought we'd be asking: Is our democracy in danger? Harvard professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt have spent more than twenty years studying the breakdown of democracies in Europe and Latin America, and they believe the answer is yes. Democracy no longer ends with a bang--in a revolution or military coup--but with a whimper: the slow, steady weakening of critical institutions, such as the judiciary and the press, and the gradual erosion of long-standing political norms. The good news is that there are several exit ramps on the road to authoritarianism. The bad news is that, by electing Trump, we have already passed the first one. Drawing on decades of research and a wide range of historical and global examples, from 1930s Europe to contemporary Hungary, Turkey, and Venezuela, to the American South during Jim Crow, Levitsky and Ziblatt show how democracies die--and how ours can be saved.