Saving Democracy: A User's Manual for Every American Paperback – May 9, 2023

Saving Democracy is both a superb political analysis of the state of democracy in our country and an excellent guide replete with lots of resources for saving our democracy. Our current discourse can obscure the real reasons why democracy is failing in our country focused so much on Trump. While Trump is a big problem - he emerges from years of anti democratic movement in our country. So here are some key takeaways from Pepper's book:1. Democrats have focused for too long on national races in battleground states esp. pouring money and resources into the Presidency and Congressional races.2. By doing this the Dems have ignored the powerful role that state legislatures play in exerting enormous power over peoples' lives. And in the meantime the GOP has swept into power in state legislatures across the country holding majorities in most of our state legislatures.3. Many of these state legislative races - esp. in red states - have significant numbers of districts where there is no Democratic opponent running so the GOP incumbent or candidate is automatically elected without even having to wage a campaign. Instead they focus on getting the backing of big money interests rather than serving the public good. Because their re election or election is guaranteed they don't have to cater to the needs of their voter constituents. This is happening in state after state after state.4. What goes along with this is that in 2010 and 2020 these GOP state legislature majorities can then so gerrymander their districts that they suppress millions of Democratic votes - literally rigging future elections their favor - which insures that they maintain and expand their power base in these states.5. When state legislatures are guaranteed election the only threat they face is to be primaried by an even more extreme right wing candidate. So the policies and deep pockets they support and seek out back extreme anti democratic views such as privatizing public resources, defunding public education, destroying labor unions, blocking reproductive freedom, blocking medicaid expansion etc.6. Most of all these politicians recognize that these views are not popular and if there was a fair election they would NEVER get elected so in addition to gerrymandering, they work to suppress the vote in every way possible . They make voting access more difficult, purge the voter rolls, limit drop boxes, cut back on early voting and vote by mail etc. All this to suppress esp. Democratic voters who might vote against them.7. Even when the GOP loses national races they are often winning in the state down ballot races and they never give up. Where Democrats tend to mobilize only in election years esp. gearing up for the Presidential election - the GOP is mobilizing every day of every year. They never stop.So David offers lots of solutions:1 First Democrats have to start mobilizing to win at the state level as well as national races every day of every year just like the GOP. It's a long game so you work to build democracy from the ground up - brick by brick.2. Getting out the vote is critical so Dems have to work to mobilize non voters who have often given up on voting (voter apathy often follows from rigged elections) . Once non voters are registered, we then need to follow up with them to insure they vote.3. Democrats have to start focusing on state legislative and other state office races (Sec of State for ex) EARLY so that we are well prepared to run the most effective campaigns. We are fighting a LONG GAME and building power slowly but surely so our work isn't over once there is an election.4. All of us have a group of friends loved ones acquaintances relatives who we can encourage to vote and to get out the vote. We all can work to get our communities to vote and to focus on saving democracy making it as easy as possible to register, getting people to vote by mail and driving people to the polls on election day.5. We can donate to candidates strategically esp. at the state level (natl races are important too but they tend to get lots of donations) so funding races where the money is both strategic and needed The States Project and other groups - esp. those working at the grassroots level - are important places to donate money and early. Early money is critical to campaigns esp. state races. David Pepper's book has resources at the end of each chapter that we can access to make our pro democracy mark and become fighters for democracy. I highly recommend it.6. We need to run everywhere. When you have a district with only a GOP incumbent running - there is no election. And most people in that district hear only one message - the messaging from the GOP. While gerrymandering has made it difficult for Dems to win in those districts - we need candidates to step up and run on the Democratic ticket in every district no matter how red to promote a more democratic message in these districts. When a GOP candidate always wins voters get complacent and stop voting. So a Dem candidate can increase voter participation and push a pro citizen pro democracy message that may not win the election - but it provides a base that Democrats can mobilize from. It took Stacy Abrams a decade to mobilize the winning constituencies in GA that won the two Senate seats in 2020 - this long game needs to be played out in state districts where EVERY district has an election with a Democratic opponent in place. Right now a number of states are funding such candidates - Blue Ohio, Blue Tx, Blue Florida - and this movement is growing and essential for saving our democracy.So for so many reasons this is an inspiring book that every citizen who cares about democracy should read. I highly recommend it and the resources in it are awesome if you are looking for things to do. There is so much work we can do - right in our own sphere and it all makes a huge difference to saving democracy!

This is the second book I read by David Pepper. I enjoyed his previous book “Laboratories for Autocracy.” He gives great examples of individuals and organizations on the front lines trying to save our democracy. Even more, he provides references at the end of each chapter how we can learn more and join these groups. He has many helpful tips how each of us can more effectively increase the size of our activism footprint to uphold and keep our democracy. If you are concerned at all about our democracy leading up to the 2024 Presidential election, READ THIS BOOK!

diagrams etc. are clear on kindle; a useful book for our times, sent paperback copies to my kids

This is an excellent book and guide for how you can be involved and most effective in saving democracy in the USA. I gained a new perspective on why our current political strategies for saving democracy are not working that well and what we could do differently. Shows multiple ways that you can be involved.

Having run for the Ohio statehouse twice, I can tell you that David Pepper knows what he is talking about. 👍 Please read it and join the fight against a gerrymandered, corrupt and uncaring system that does not represent the values of the majority of Ohio residents.

I really enjoyed reading this book as it gave me steps to take to help lift democracy up where I live as well as get more involved in the broader fight for our democracy. Thank you David Pepper for all the work you have done, and are doing, to preserve and lift Democracy up. I have already signed up to be a pol worker and am creating my footprint.

Inspiring, very readable book.

With our scholarly friends like Tim Snyder and Anne Applebaum we understand the current autocrats and how hard they are working every day to deprive us of our precious Freedom. David Pepper is the man who understands and explains how to fight harder and longer to stop them. We are the generation who can leave our children what the last "Great Generation" barely saved for us. Freedom isn't Free they taught us. So True!