Bigger Than Bernie: How We Go from the Sanders Campaign to Democratic Socialism

by Micah Uetricht, Meagan Day Narrated by Christopher Grove

Overview

Bernie Sanders's 2016 candidacy expanded the scope of political possibility in the United States, putting socialism and class politics back on the map. His radical campaign-not just for the Democratic presidential candidacy but against "the billionaire class"-helped catalyze other transformative left-wing politicians like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to seek and win office, just as he inspired teachers from West Virginia to Los Angeles to win hard-fought, historic strike campaigns. Sanders has, in short, helped cohere a new movement in American politics.



But even when coverage of Sanders takes stock of the sea change he has affected in American politics, it all too often fails to grasp what's unique about his approach. The senior senator from Vermont has demanded new policies and political approaches in this country-though he has also hinted at more, calling repeatedly for a "political revolution," something that he says would involve "millions of Americans" getting involved in politics not just at the ballot box, but in their workplaces and neighborhoods, too.



In this book, Micah Uetricht and Meagan Day go beyond a simple balance sheet of Democratic Party politics. In a clear and effective style, they detail what we need to do to get beyond the Sanders campaign or presidency to transform the US from top to bottom.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Meagan Day and Micah Uetricht are two of the most brilliant and courageous intellectuals organically grounded in the marvelous militancy of the Sanders Movement. This indispensable book is a powerful, pioneering analysis of these new radical times, and a compelling vision of where it all might be going.”
—Cornel West, author of Race Matters

“Urgent and essential … no one could better capture the promise and perils of this once-in-a-generation moment. I try never to miss a word that they write, and you shouldn’t either.”
—Krystal Ball, cohost of Rising on HillTV

“Bigger Than Bernie offers an important contribution to the urgent debates about rebuilding the American Left. Leading members of the Democratic Socialists of America, Megan Day and Micah Uetricht link that process to the improbable emergence of Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign and his insistence on ‘Not me, Us.’ Day and Uetricht put flesh on Sanders’s call for a ‘political revolution’ which they see as not only critical to the success of Sanders’ campaign, but the revitalization of class struggle politics and organizing in the US. Buy, read, discuss and debate this book!”
—Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, author of From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation

“Hannah Arendt said we should ‘think what we are doing.’ And that is what Meagan Day and Micah Uetricht have done here. Their book not only examines all that democratic socialists have achieved in the past few years but also gives an exhilarating account of what we’ll be doing in the coming years. Anyone who thinks, with dread or relief, that the work comes to an end after Election Day in 2020 will think again. As Day and Uetricht show, the fight for democratic socialism has only just begun, and I’m going to keep coming back to them and their book in order to understand where and how it goes in the future.”
—Corey Robin, author of The Enigma of Clarence Thomas

“Bigger Than Bernie is a comprehensive and necessary read for those longing for a more humane country, and as someone who has been up close in many of our current fights for justice, I can attest to the power of its analysis. The authors champion non-reformist reforms that arise from and propoel social movements, and provide an essential roadmap for achieving permanent change. An energizing and instructive account that brings socialism into the present tense.”
—RoseAnn DeMoro, former executive of National Nurses United

“Part history lesson, part guide book; this is a love letter to the everyday people and movements who transformed this country and who continue to declare that our lives have meaning, and our future is worth fighting for. Bigger than Bernie, isn’t about the man who’s spent the majority of his political career on the fringes. It’s about fighters. It’s about thinkers. It’s about love. It’s about US.”
—Phillip Agnew, Co-founder of the Dream Defenders

“An indispensable guide to 21st century socialism from the view of clear eyed, sharp witted, smart, funny authors who lay bare the past failures of angry, narrow sectarianism, and offer a bold, dynamic vision for using the Sanders moment to build a stronger left. These authors, like the magazine they write for, give me hope!”
—Jane McAlevey, author of A Collective Bargain

Product Details

BN ID:	2940176308563
Publisher:	HighBridge Company
Publication date:	04/14/2020
Edition description:	Unabridged

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