"Reclaiming Our Democracy"
The revised classic offers hope and tactics
By Bruce Watson
Two score and fourteen years ago, when Donald Trump was just another millionaire and Barack Obama was still in high school, Sam Daley-Harris began fighting the good fight for democracy. Recognizing a deep rift between “we, the people” and our elected officials, Daley-Harris began preaching and practicing “deep advocacy” — activism that goes beyond petitions and donations to put people in direct contact with each other.
In January, Daley-Harris published Reclaiming Our Democracy: Every Citizen’s Guide to Transformational Activism (Rivertowns Books). An update of his 1994 book, this activist’s primer, which Jimmy Carter called “a road map for global involvement in planning a better future," seems more important than ever.
Chapter by chapter, Daley-Harris lays out what works. Drawing on his wide consulting work, from his own RESULT to the Citizen’s Climate Lobby, from local to national health campaigns, the book is one of those “if you read only one book about. . .” Fill in the phrase with “saving our democracy” and dive in.
Chapter subtitles read like a laundry list for activists:
— “Reaching Across the Political Divide”
— “Engaging Young People”
— “Engaging the Disengaged”
— “A Crash Course in Working With the Media”
Later chapters focus on success stories with major health campaigns that may not apply in 2024, but Daley-Harris has plenty to say about resolving our current crisis of democracy. Since the release of Reclaiming Our Democracy, he has spoken with NPR, PBS and other outlets. Here’s his interview on NPR’s “Here and Now”:
And here’s a 2,300 word excerpt from the Stanford Social Innovation Review.
"American democracy is at a dangerous crossroads. People are worried and asking what they can do. Reclaiming Our Democracy answers that question powerfully, showing what's possible and how we can join in." — Thom Hartmann