Democracy in Retrograde: How to Make Changes Big and Small in Our Country and in Our Lives

by Sami Sage, Emily Amick

Overview

A whip-smart combo of self-help and political manifesto that is perfect for anyone who wants to save our democracy but doesn’t know where to start.

In today’s political climate, it’s hard not to get discouraged. Isolated, doom scrolling, lacking a sense of purpose or community...it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the dire state of American democracy and do nothing, because why try when the odds are never in our favor?

At this fragile moment in history, Emily Amick, lawyer and former counsel to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, alongside New York Times bestselling author and Betches Media cofounder Sami Sage, want to reframe civic engagement as a form of self-care: an assertion of one’s values and self-respect. This book is not just about voting, but about claiming your singular place in your country and community.

Including real stories of regular people who have made a difference along with helpful exercises and quizzes, Democracy in Retrograde is a choose-your-own-adventure map to civic engagement that will help you:

*Define your values and passions
*Understand how the system works, so it’s easier to know how to change it
*Match your personality, skills, resources, and interests, to meaningful actions within your community
*Implement changes (big and small) that matter
*Build a civic life that’s sustainable and authentic to you, whether you have only a few minutes to spare or are ready to make a lifetime commitment

Democracy in Retrograde will help you learn about much more than just political action. This book will provide a new lens through which to see yourself: a new and powerful light which bridges the personal and the political. In the words of Joan Baez, action is the antidote to despair, and with this helpful guide, even if Mercury is in retrograde, our democracy doesn’t have to be.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781668053508
Publisher:	Gallery Books
Publication date:	07/09/2024
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	12,900
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

Sami Sage is a cofounder and chief brand officer of Betches Media, and established the brand’s politics and activism vertical Betches News. She also hosts the award-winning daily news podcast The Morning Announcements.

Emily Amick is a lawyer, journalist, and political analyst who served as counsel to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. She created @EmilyinYourPhone to give people her insider insight into the political process and help them find ways they can take action.

Editorial Reviews

05/06/2024

Betches Media cofounder Sage and lawyer Amick debut with a smart, pop culture–inflected guide to civic engagement. Citing factors—the erosion of the “public square,” the proliferation of internet echo chambers—that have rendered voting, participating in political advocacy groups, and other forms of political engagement more arduous while also increasing polarization, the authors counsel readers on how to break from the “hopeless spiral.” Suggestions include consulting news sources that prioritize issues about which one is passionate; creating a “civic network” by joining advocacy groups and forming friendships based on political interests; and having challenging political conversations with friends and family (suggested phrases to de-escalate chats that get too heated include “I hear you” and “Tell me more”). Most valuably, the authors frame political participation as a form of self-expression that must be rewarding to be sustainable. While the tone is geared toward millennial women—there’s more than one Real Housewives reference here—the pragmatic advice applies across the board. It’s a solid guide for those who already feel overwhelmed by the 2024 presidential election news cycle. (July)

Publishers Weekly

"Through their frank and funny prose and optimistic yet accomplishable ideas that are ripe for discussion, Sage and Amick make engaging in politics seem like less of a drag and actually maybe even fun." —Glamour



“This upbeat, extremely accessible guide to managing political anxiety offers reassurance and hope.” —Booklist

“A smart, pop culture–inflected guide to civic engagement... While the tone is geared toward millennial women—there’s more than one Real Housewives reference here—the pragmatic advice applies across the board.”—Publishers Weekly

“A comprehensive guide to regaining ownership of American civic life... An uplifting and useful book of activism.”—Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2024-04-20
Two activists offer a comprehensive guide to regaining ownership of American civic life in an era of minoritarian rule.

Early on, Sage, co-founder and chief brand officer of Betches Media, and Amick, founder of For Facts Sake, advocate for “civic engagement [as] a form of self-care,” especially for individuals and communities struggling with what have become major ills for American society and politics in the 21st century: “individualism, socioeconomic stratification, and isolation.” The advent of the internet and especially social media has not only fostered siloed communities of like-minded people and discouraged in-person interactions; it has also cultivated optimal conditions for the rise of oligarchs who have allowed corporate exploitation of the masses and who are themselves beholden to corporate interests through such avenues as dark money political campaign donations. The authors argue that conscious civic action is the way forward through all the helplessness and hopelessness that characterize our present political landscape. Toward that goal, the authors provide a variety of resources, including a personality quiz readers can use to determine whether their qualities make them leaders, givers, connectors, or creators; reflection exercises on civic interests; rules for political action; and a mini-tutorial on the structure of American government. In a “republic that elects its representatives democratically,” citizens must actively monitor the issues they care about and the officials who hold office while networking with each other to fight minoritarianism and the isolating hopelessness it brings. The voices in this book, including Betches social media followers, in addition to the how-to format, suggest a primarily young target audience. Nonetheless, the authors’ insights will undoubtedly interest anyone who seeks to revitalize the civic consciousness and activity of what they call the “Exhausteds…a mix of traditional and pas­sive liberals, moderates, and those who are politically disengaged.”

An uplifting and useful book of activism.

Kirkus Reviews