The Art of the Possible: An Everyday Guide to Politics

by Edward Keenan, Julie McLaughlin (Illustrator)

Overview

We all know what a politician looks like, right? They’re old people who wear suits and make long, boring speeches full of indecipherable words. Not so fast! As The Art of the Possible explains, everyone is a politician — even young people who aren’t yet eligible to vote. We all have influence over how politics function.

But what are politics, and why do we need them? This book answers the universal query in nine short chapters that explain everything from why we form societies and the basic types of governments to the power of public opinion, methods of rhetoric, and the reasons why politicians “lie.”

Written in an accessible, conversational voice and packed with anecdotes and case studies from across history and around the world, this book helps foster independent thought and curiosity about how a government works — or doesn’t work. Readers will come away equipped with the knowledge they need to understand current events and elections, and maybe even be empowered to civic action themselves.

Informational text features: table of contents, chapters, diagrams, sidebars, in-text definitions of key terms, glossary, index, and sources

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781771474139
Publisher:	OWLKIDS BOOKS
Publication date:	03/15/2020
Pages:	64
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 9.50(h) x (d)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Edward Keenan is a writer working in Toronto. An eight-time National Magazine Award finalist, he was a Senior Editor for Eye Weekly and The Grid, and is now a city politics columnist for the Toronto Star. His first book, Some Great Idea, a study of the political history of Toronto, was published by Coach House Books in 2013. He hosts "The Keenan Wire Radio Program" weekly on CIUT 89.5 FM.

Julie Mclaughlin is a Vancouver–based illustrator whose clients include the National Post, FFWD, Exclaim!, AirBnB, and numerous advertising agencies. She is the illustrator of Why We Live Where We Live.

Table of Contents

Introduction 6

So, do you want to be a politician?

Chapter 1 Who needs politics, anyway? 10

Chapter 2 How do we decide things? And who gets to decide? 16

Chapter 3 The three most important things in politics 20

Chapter 4 How to make a strong argument 26

Chapter 5 Conflict is good 34

Chapter 6 Conflict can also be bad 39

Chapter 7 Getting the party started 43

Chapter 8 Avoiding the tyranny of the majority 48

Chapter 9 Knowledge is power 53

Conclusion Power of the people 57

Glossary 58

Sources 60

Acknowledgments 61

Index 62

Editorial Reviews

An OLA Best Bet

"An excellent and indispensable resource."
—Canadian Children's Book News

"A highly accessible introduction to politics...a useful addition to most collections."
—School Library Journal

"Thanks to accessible content that will resonate with most students...this logical, relevant approach, combined with realistic suggestions on how to get involved, makes for an engaging alternative to standardized texts and might just spark some political careers."
—Booklist

"An optimistically presented introduction to politics."
— Kirkus Reviews

"A demystifying resource that encourages readers to take interest and take action."
—Publisher's Weekly

"Informative and insightful."
—Waterloo Region Record

"Easy to take to heart, and has the potential to change the way young people see their world."
—Quill & Quire, STARRED REVIEW

"Succeeds in conveying a topic often not covered at this grade level...a necessary book. Recommended."
—School Library Connection

"Easy to understand...examples are very concrete. An ideal entry point for youth...may even serve as inspiration for anyone looking to become more involved."
—Resource Links

"A great addition to a school curriculum's study of government."
—The Calgary Herald

"The readability, practical examples and illustrations...present this important material in an appealing format for the target audience. Recommended."
—Canadian Review of Materials

From the Publisher

08/24/2015
Keenan offers an easygoing overview of the political arena, beginning with an introduction to types of government, followed by a more conceptual exploration of political ideology, authority, and the roles of citizens. A young man and woman reappear throughout McLaughlin’s illustrations, seen engaging in debate, contemplating their political leanings, and learning along with readers. Case studies dig deeper into the material—Keenan profiles Jane Jacobs as a demonstration of active citizenship, and a look at George W. Bush’s first term and the impact of 9/11 touches on the limits of presidential power. While primarily focused on American politics, Keenan weaves in global topics, such as the Egyptian Revolution of 2011, which is used as an example of the influence of public opinion. It’s a demystifying resource that encourages readers to take interest and take action. Ages 10–14. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

09/01/2015
Gr 5–8—In this highly accessible introduction to politics, Keenan provides readers with a brief yet relatively thorough overview of how government policy works. Focusing primarily on North American political processes and emphasizing the importance of active, informed citizenship, Keenan explains concepts such as policy vs. process, the ideological spectrum, and the checks and balances built into many democratic systems. Supporting these ideas are real-life case studies and examples both familiar (Malala Yousafzai and her advocacy for girls' education) and lesser known (Jane Jacobs and her city planning activism) that make complex topics more clear and engaging; sidebars, diagrams, and in-text definitions of key words also keep readers involved while breaking up longer passages into more manageable blocks of information. McLaughlin's whimsical color illustrations perfectly suit the narrative by keeping the tone light without detracting from the content. The book's most noticeable drawback, however, is that it's too optimistic; examples from the darker side of politics are lacking, as are non-Western models of government. VERDICT A useful addition to most collections.—Audrey Sumser, Kent State University at Tuscarawas, New Philadelphia, OH

School Library Journal

2015-06-29
An optimistically presented introduction to politics, mostly American, for those who don't even vote. This thorough look (some might ungenerously call it wordy) at citizen participation in the political process has an emphasis on the United States but also draws examples from a few other countries. (It tends to shy away from getting explicit about tin-pot dictatorships and other authoritarian governments, rarely naming them.) Keenan writes that "this book will explain how politics works, the role you play, and how you can play that role really well," and to some degree he is successful, as long as he confines himself to representative democracy. He covers such topics as levels of government; policy versus process; rhetoric's expression of emotion, logic, and authority; the importance of navigating conflicts; polarization and selective perception; ideology and the tyranny of the majority; checks, balances, and activism. These are valuable and/or subtle concepts, critical to becoming involved in the next step of informed participation. If Keenan has a tendency to drone on, he also has the smarts to provide illustrative case studies and paints a pretty rosy picture of activism. He admits that politics can be messy, but critically, he fails to mention corruption, pork-barrel riders, and backroom bargaining that has little to do with representation. Choice insights into the larger notion of politics as expressed through government, but the road is long between discerning nuggets. (glossary, sources, acknowledgments, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews