No. 41 - Democracy in Retrograde
Earlier this year, I got a message from my friend—let’s call her Samantha—saying she was in tears while watching the news. She felt completely overwhelmed. The rapid-fire delivery of embarrassing bits from our government, followed by disturbing reports about violence in her own neighborhood, left her searching for houses in Iceland.
After reading this book, I think she and everyone else who is overwhelmed by the news and the state of politics in general could be comforted and inspired to participate in local politics in a new and more reasonable way.
This book reads like part self-help and part political activism manual.
“Civics” doesn’t just need a rebrand, it needs whatever Julie Andrews did to make Anne Hathaway a suitable Princess of Genovia. That is: reveal the beauty that was already there and recast her in the light she should’ve been in all along.”
― Sami Sage, Democracy in Retrograde: How to Make Changes Big and Small in Our Country and in Our Lives
As you can tell from the tone of the quote, the authors know they are talking about a serious subject, but they infuse the material with levity and nostalgia from the late 90s and early 2000s. There’s even a quiz in the middle of the book that harkens back to the Seventeen magazine quizzes we took when we were kids. This time, instead of finding out if you have “too much attitude,” you discover your civic personality.
Beyond the quiz and pop culture references, the book is sympathetic to those experiencing complete and total overwhelmed by the state of our country’s politics—not its people. It promotes self-care by asking what the reader needs to put down for a while, and what they can pick up that won’t be as damaging. For example, do you need to stop watching the national news and engage with your local government or neighborhood watch? It reminds us all that we can still contribute and be active participants without feeling pressured to fix the whole dang country ourselves.
“The purpose of talking about politics is to come together and find solutions.”
― Sami Sage, Democracy in Retrograde: How to Make Changes Big and Small in Our Country and in Our Lives
(Samantha, if you’re reading this, act surprised when I give you this book at dinner.)
👩⚖️Read the bills before listening to people on the news explain them. - https://www.congress.gov/bill-texts-received-today
📚Get the book (Affiliate links help support the blog without you having to pay extra. Thank you in advance!)
Support your local booksellers - https://bookshop.org/lists/reading-in-public-2025
Amazon - https://amzn.to/41LBqb6