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Giving Up Is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping a Democracy
Listening Length: 6 hours
The first book from Joyce White equal parts civics class, history lesson, and call to save the Republic, Giving Up Is Unforgivable is a political manifesto for our present moment.
“We’re in this together.”
For the past two years, Joyce Vance has signed off posts on her chart-topping Substack, Civil Discourse, with these four words. In that time, she’s guided readers through a continued erosion of democratic norms, the unprecedented felony conviction of an ex-president, and the approaching specter of a second Trump administration. Now that it’s upon us, Vance helps us understand how to avoid burnout and despair and exercise the democratic muscles we need to save the Republic.
Giving Up Is Unforgivable is a clarion call to action—putting our current crisis in historical context and sketching out a vision for where we go next. Vance’s message is hopeful at its heart, even as it acknowledges the daunting challenges that lie ahead. She is the constitutional law professor you never knew you needed, explaining the legal context, the political history, and the practical reasons that the rule of law still matters, while also empowering you to do something—from the small (that conversation you’ve been meaning to have with your uncle or volunteering for your favorite political cause) to the big (starting a grassroots movement or running for political office).
Consider this the birth of a countermovement to Project 2025, a rallying cry for citizen engagement to counter the second Trump administration and save American democracy.
The first book from Joyce White equal parts civics class, history lesson, and call to save the Republic, Giving Up Is Unforgivable is a political manifesto for our present moment.
“We’re in this together.”
For the past two years, Joyce Vance has signed off posts on her chart-topping Substack, Civil Discourse, with these four words. In that time, she’s guided readers through a continued erosion of democratic norms, the unprecedented felony conviction of an ex-president, and the approaching specter of a second Trump administration. Now that it’s upon us, Vance helps us understand how to avoid burnout and despair and exercise the democratic muscles we need to save the Republic.
Giving Up Is Unforgivable is a clarion call to action—putting our current crisis in historical context and sketching out a vision for where we go next. Vance’s message is hopeful at its heart, even as it acknowledges the daunting challenges that lie ahead. She is the constitutional law professor you never knew you needed, explaining the legal context, the political history, and the practical reasons that the rule of law still matters, while also empowering you to do something—from the small (that conversation you’ve been meaning to have with your uncle or volunteering for your favorite political cause) to the big (starting a grassroots movement or running for political office).
Consider this the birth of a countermovement to Project 2025, a rallying cry for citizen engagement to counter the second Trump administration and save American democracy.
6 pages, Audible Audio
First published October 21, 2025
494 people are currently reading
2003 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews
November 2, 2025
Introduction
I love that Joyce Vance engaged me from the get-go. I was startled to read “That vision of an inclusive America is threatening to some people. They are afraid of us.” That really made me think. How sad to be afraid of inclusion, which is so much better for everyone than the alternative, fascism which is what we are facing right now and must take up the challenge to resist.
“It’s an educated public capable of informed civil discourse that sustains effective, fair government. Accountability happens when citizens demand it.” And we must demand it.
Chapter 1 Don’t Be the Frog – outlines the parameters of our present constitutional crisis
Vance uses the analogy of the frog in hot water – the water is heating slowly, and the frog doesn’t realize that it’s being cooked until it is too late. In business or government, “The warning signs develop so gradually that leadership doesn’t shift course until it’s too late.”
“Despite the clear evidence, many people refused to believe the water would really some to a boil if [Trump] was reelected. They’d forgotten what they’d lived through during his first term in office.”
This train of thought resonated with me, as I think the pandemic either literally caused us to struggle with short-term memory due to having had Covid or it was such a terrible time we psychologically blocked out the memory of those years, as we didn’t want to remember.
During Trump’s presidential campaign “Project 2025 became so unpopular when it was aired in public that Trump took pains to distance himself from it.” People believed him when he said that he had no idea what it was. However, once inaugurated, his administration proceeded in earnest to put Project 2025 in action and people were surprised and dismayed.
I like the analogy of the three branches of government being like a three-legged stool where you need all three legs for the stool to balance and remain upright.
“If there is a magic bullet for preserving democracy, it is this: prevent any one branch of government from holding too much power, especially power that the Constitution specifically gives to another branch of government.”
The Trump Administration used “mob boss-level intimidation, including canceling lawyers’ security clearances, denying firm employees access to federal property, terminating existing government contracts the firms had" to make large law firms tow the line and work for him rather than against him. “The executive orders were harsh enough that some of the [law] firms were concerned about going out of business.” Trump wielded the justice system as “tools for revenge.”
“The power to create laws, the Court reiterated belongs to Congress, and to Congress exclusively.”
“Indeed, judicial review is one of our most essential aids in challenging times, so long as judges live up to the role assigned to them.”
“It was clear that the new president was trying to aggregate the power of the three branches of government in his own hands.”
“The time-honored tradition of Americans is to stand together.” We must “jump out of the pot before it comes to a boil, and bring the other frogs with [us] as well.”
Chapter 2 The Myth of Broken Institutions - is about institutions: How they were designed to work and how we can strengthen them.
“They [institutions] evolve; they have reach. These institutions are populated by individuals with a deep commitment to democracy, the career civil service.” It is vital to democracy to have “a civil service loyal to the Constitution and its mission, not to any one president.”
“When the public perpetuates narratives that the institutions are broken and talks about walking away from them, it plays into his hands and makes his ascension to power that much easier.” We must stand up for our institutions.
“The Founding Fathers did believe in a powerful executive. But they emphasized, at the same time, that a president must be accountable.”
“In order to keep the presidency from becoming too powerful, Congress and the courts hold some share of power for their own and have the ability to check the executive branch. Other institutions, like the press, the unofficial forth branch of government, hold a president accountable by educating the electorate. Our military is civilian led, a deliberate choice made to lessen the risk of a military coup.”
“Much has been written about the public’s loss of confidence in the courts – or to be more precise, the Supreme Court.” However, “it is not the structural institution itself that is lacking; it is the people who populate it and their personal failures. Our job as citizens is not to abandon the courts but rather to demand better from them.”
“The Supreme Court is not the entirety of the court system. Indeed, some district judges and court of appeals judges seem to have grasped the credibility issue more readily than the Supreme Court has.”
“Collectively, as voters, as citizens, as concerned Americans, we have power […] We direct the priorities our elected officials must focus on if they want to remain in office.”
“As Americans, we should treat democracy the same way: the practice of democracy, something we do together as Americans. When we make mistakes, even big ones, we can learn from them. We dig deeper so we can fix them. We get back to work. But what we cannot do is give up.”
Chapter 3 How Democracy Works for Us - answers “The question that is at the very core of this book: Why is democracy, despite its imperfections, worth having?”
“If we acknowledge that American democracy was marred by its flaws at birth – slavery, misogyny, and classism among them – we must also acknowledge that it is capable of advancing beyond them and continuously expanding the groups of people and individuals to whom it extends its promise.”
“Despite its inherent imperfections, our democracy has advanced equity, freedom, and justice.” Democracy belongs to the American people. “Democracy forces leaders to consider citizens’ views.”
“People who live under monarchies or dictatorships desperately long for what we have been, even if it’s imperfect. They’d prefer to determine the course of their own lives rather than let a leader who took power do it for them.”
Chapter 4 A New Lost Cause - draws out the lessons we can learn from the Founding Fathers, literature, and American History (especially the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement) as we confront the current menace.
On January 6, 2021, “As we watched and listened, we realized that we were in the middle of an attempted coup, intended to interfere with the transfer of power from one duly elected president to another, for the first time in our nation’s history.”
“Following January 6, emotions ran high but there was no moment when Donald Trump faced the truth about what he had done to the country. He has never publicly apologized or even acknowledged he was wrong.”
“When Trump left the White House, the culture he created didn’t go away. With no closure and in the absence of accountability for January 6, Trump was free to rewrite the story into a Lost Cause mythology of his own, complete with true patriots – the guys in masks who attacked police officers, defecated in the Capitol, and threatened to hang Vice President Mike Pence. Senate Republicans failed to hold Trump accountable.”
“The rule of law is one of the reasons that people from other countries have felt comfortable making investments in the United States in past decades: A stable rule of law society protects even foreign investors’ interests.”
“Donald Trump, from the start of his first term in office, acted as though the rule of law didn’t apply to him.”
Founding Father Thomas Paine “published Common Sense on January 10, 1776, he helped America understand what was possible if they took responsibility for their own fate.”
“In Common Sense, Paine explained the weaknesses of kings like this: Men who look upon themselves born to reign, and others to obey, soon grow insolent; selected from the rest of mankind their minds are early poisoned by importance; and the world they act in differs so materially from the world at large, that they have but little opportunity of knowing its true interests, and when they succeed to the government are frequently the most ignorant and unfit of any throughout the dominions.”
Chapter 5 RBG’s Umbrella - goes deep on the act that is the foundation of our democracy: Voting
“The next election is always the most important one of our lives.”
“The right to vote is precious, almost sacred. It is the most powerful nonviolent tool or instrument in a democratic society. We must use it. – John Lewis.”
“If you want to save democracy, persuade potential voters who don’t vote, or don’t vote regularly, that their participation is essential.”
“In Shelby County v. Holder, Justice Ginsburg took the majority to task for failing to honor the long-standing tradition of protecting the right to vote. In her dissenting opinion, she quoted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and when she read her dissent from the bench that day in 2013, she added a crucial point of emphasis: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice if there is a steadfast commitment to see the task through to completion.”
Additionally, “She wrote, with prescient clarity, that ending preclearance
was “like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet.””
Chapter 6 We Are the Cavalry - the most important chapter of the book, spells out what you can do, and what we can achieve together.
“We have one another, a community of like-minded people across the country who care about democracy.”
“The most important piece of knowledge to carry with you is that you are not powerless.”
“Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, who fought back against Soviet oppression by exposing it, wrote, “The simple step of a courageous man is not to take part in the lie.””
“We can check a runaway president with our protests and with our votes.”
Rules for the cavalry
1. Be Smart
2. Be in Community
3. Never Bet against America. Believe that government works.
4. Understand That Protecting Democracy Comes in a Lot of Flavors.
5. Decide Who You Are and Stick to It.
6. Be the Hope
7. Take Baby Steps
8. Exercise Your Rights
To quote President Biden- “Democracy is never guaranteed. Every generation must preserve it, defend it, and fight for it.”
“Younger generations believe democracy has failed them, and they don’t believe it can be fixed because they’ve never seen it happen.” Another statement that surprised me and made me think.
“Ultimately, the only way a dictator can hold power is by controlling the flow of information and resorting to the spread of disinformation that serves his purposes and permits him to retain authority.”
“Executive orders can impact the executive branch of government, but they can’t tell citizens what to think or feel or how to behave. They have no force over us.”
Trump canceled celebrations such as Black History month by executive order. However, we have the right “to celebrate our fellow citizens’ contributions to our country. As Americans, we have that right and we should exercise it, joyfully and together.”
“Don’t give up hope. Pick one small thing you can do this week and get started. And then keep going.” “We keep the Republic by being stubborn and steadfast.”
Conclusion
“Stay informed, stay engaged, and bring others along with us. We need to be fearless about talking with people around us and explaining why democracy matters, the damage that is being done to it, and what we can do to protect it.”
“We keep the Republic by being stubborn and steadfast.”
“Never give up on talking with the people around you, the ones who have decided to look away and tolerate what’s happening.”
“We must persist until we succeed. Make your love of this country, despite her imperfections, relentless and refuse to give up. American citizenship confers a great responsibility. We must do our best, together, to live up to it.”
I follow Joyce Vance's Substack “Civil Discourse” and every night she signs off with “We’re in this together” and I truly find it comforting and inspiring. She is one of my trusted sources for information.
I love that Joyce Vance engaged me from the get-go. I was startled to read “That vision of an inclusive America is threatening to some people. They are afraid of us.” That really made me think. How sad to be afraid of inclusion, which is so much better for everyone than the alternative, fascism which is what we are facing right now and must take up the challenge to resist.
“It’s an educated public capable of informed civil discourse that sustains effective, fair government. Accountability happens when citizens demand it.” And we must demand it.
Chapter 1 Don’t Be the Frog – outlines the parameters of our present constitutional crisis
Vance uses the analogy of the frog in hot water – the water is heating slowly, and the frog doesn’t realize that it’s being cooked until it is too late. In business or government, “The warning signs develop so gradually that leadership doesn’t shift course until it’s too late.”
“Despite the clear evidence, many people refused to believe the water would really some to a boil if [Trump] was reelected. They’d forgotten what they’d lived through during his first term in office.”
This train of thought resonated with me, as I think the pandemic either literally caused us to struggle with short-term memory due to having had Covid or it was such a terrible time we psychologically blocked out the memory of those years, as we didn’t want to remember.
During Trump’s presidential campaign “Project 2025 became so unpopular when it was aired in public that Trump took pains to distance himself from it.” People believed him when he said that he had no idea what it was. However, once inaugurated, his administration proceeded in earnest to put Project 2025 in action and people were surprised and dismayed.
I like the analogy of the three branches of government being like a three-legged stool where you need all three legs for the stool to balance and remain upright.
“If there is a magic bullet for preserving democracy, it is this: prevent any one branch of government from holding too much power, especially power that the Constitution specifically gives to another branch of government.”
The Trump Administration used “mob boss-level intimidation, including canceling lawyers’ security clearances, denying firm employees access to federal property, terminating existing government contracts the firms had" to make large law firms tow the line and work for him rather than against him. “The executive orders were harsh enough that some of the [law] firms were concerned about going out of business.” Trump wielded the justice system as “tools for revenge.”
“The power to create laws, the Court reiterated belongs to Congress, and to Congress exclusively.”
“Indeed, judicial review is one of our most essential aids in challenging times, so long as judges live up to the role assigned to them.”
“It was clear that the new president was trying to aggregate the power of the three branches of government in his own hands.”
“The time-honored tradition of Americans is to stand together.” We must “jump out of the pot before it comes to a boil, and bring the other frogs with [us] as well.”
Chapter 2 The Myth of Broken Institutions - is about institutions: How they were designed to work and how we can strengthen them.
“They [institutions] evolve; they have reach. These institutions are populated by individuals with a deep commitment to democracy, the career civil service.” It is vital to democracy to have “a civil service loyal to the Constitution and its mission, not to any one president.”
“When the public perpetuates narratives that the institutions are broken and talks about walking away from them, it plays into his hands and makes his ascension to power that much easier.” We must stand up for our institutions.
“The Founding Fathers did believe in a powerful executive. But they emphasized, at the same time, that a president must be accountable.”
“In order to keep the presidency from becoming too powerful, Congress and the courts hold some share of power for their own and have the ability to check the executive branch. Other institutions, like the press, the unofficial forth branch of government, hold a president accountable by educating the electorate. Our military is civilian led, a deliberate choice made to lessen the risk of a military coup.”
“Much has been written about the public’s loss of confidence in the courts – or to be more precise, the Supreme Court.” However, “it is not the structural institution itself that is lacking; it is the people who populate it and their personal failures. Our job as citizens is not to abandon the courts but rather to demand better from them.”
“The Supreme Court is not the entirety of the court system. Indeed, some district judges and court of appeals judges seem to have grasped the credibility issue more readily than the Supreme Court has.”
“Collectively, as voters, as citizens, as concerned Americans, we have power […] We direct the priorities our elected officials must focus on if they want to remain in office.”
“As Americans, we should treat democracy the same way: the practice of democracy, something we do together as Americans. When we make mistakes, even big ones, we can learn from them. We dig deeper so we can fix them. We get back to work. But what we cannot do is give up.”
Chapter 3 How Democracy Works for Us - answers “The question that is at the very core of this book: Why is democracy, despite its imperfections, worth having?”
“If we acknowledge that American democracy was marred by its flaws at birth – slavery, misogyny, and classism among them – we must also acknowledge that it is capable of advancing beyond them and continuously expanding the groups of people and individuals to whom it extends its promise.”
“Despite its inherent imperfections, our democracy has advanced equity, freedom, and justice.” Democracy belongs to the American people. “Democracy forces leaders to consider citizens’ views.”
“People who live under monarchies or dictatorships desperately long for what we have been, even if it’s imperfect. They’d prefer to determine the course of their own lives rather than let a leader who took power do it for them.”
Chapter 4 A New Lost Cause - draws out the lessons we can learn from the Founding Fathers, literature, and American History (especially the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement) as we confront the current menace.
On January 6, 2021, “As we watched and listened, we realized that we were in the middle of an attempted coup, intended to interfere with the transfer of power from one duly elected president to another, for the first time in our nation’s history.”
“Following January 6, emotions ran high but there was no moment when Donald Trump faced the truth about what he had done to the country. He has never publicly apologized or even acknowledged he was wrong.”
“When Trump left the White House, the culture he created didn’t go away. With no closure and in the absence of accountability for January 6, Trump was free to rewrite the story into a Lost Cause mythology of his own, complete with true patriots – the guys in masks who attacked police officers, defecated in the Capitol, and threatened to hang Vice President Mike Pence. Senate Republicans failed to hold Trump accountable.”
“The rule of law is one of the reasons that people from other countries have felt comfortable making investments in the United States in past decades: A stable rule of law society protects even foreign investors’ interests.”
“Donald Trump, from the start of his first term in office, acted as though the rule of law didn’t apply to him.”
Founding Father Thomas Paine “published Common Sense on January 10, 1776, he helped America understand what was possible if they took responsibility for their own fate.”
“In Common Sense, Paine explained the weaknesses of kings like this: Men who look upon themselves born to reign, and others to obey, soon grow insolent; selected from the rest of mankind their minds are early poisoned by importance; and the world they act in differs so materially from the world at large, that they have but little opportunity of knowing its true interests, and when they succeed to the government are frequently the most ignorant and unfit of any throughout the dominions.”
Chapter 5 RBG’s Umbrella - goes deep on the act that is the foundation of our democracy: Voting
“The next election is always the most important one of our lives.”
“The right to vote is precious, almost sacred. It is the most powerful nonviolent tool or instrument in a democratic society. We must use it. – John Lewis.”
“If you want to save democracy, persuade potential voters who don’t vote, or don’t vote regularly, that their participation is essential.”
“In Shelby County v. Holder, Justice Ginsburg took the majority to task for failing to honor the long-standing tradition of protecting the right to vote. In her dissenting opinion, she quoted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and when she read her dissent from the bench that day in 2013, she added a crucial point of emphasis: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice if there is a steadfast commitment to see the task through to completion.”
Additionally, “She wrote, with prescient clarity, that ending preclearance
was “like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet.””
Chapter 6 We Are the Cavalry - the most important chapter of the book, spells out what you can do, and what we can achieve together.
“We have one another, a community of like-minded people across the country who care about democracy.”
“The most important piece of knowledge to carry with you is that you are not powerless.”
“Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, who fought back against Soviet oppression by exposing it, wrote, “The simple step of a courageous man is not to take part in the lie.””
“We can check a runaway president with our protests and with our votes.”
Rules for the cavalry
1. Be Smart
2. Be in Community
3. Never Bet against America. Believe that government works.
4. Understand That Protecting Democracy Comes in a Lot of Flavors.
5. Decide Who You Are and Stick to It.
6. Be the Hope
7. Take Baby Steps
8. Exercise Your Rights
To quote President Biden- “Democracy is never guaranteed. Every generation must preserve it, defend it, and fight for it.”
“Younger generations believe democracy has failed them, and they don’t believe it can be fixed because they’ve never seen it happen.” Another statement that surprised me and made me think.
“Ultimately, the only way a dictator can hold power is by controlling the flow of information and resorting to the spread of disinformation that serves his purposes and permits him to retain authority.”
“Executive orders can impact the executive branch of government, but they can’t tell citizens what to think or feel or how to behave. They have no force over us.”
Trump canceled celebrations such as Black History month by executive order. However, we have the right “to celebrate our fellow citizens’ contributions to our country. As Americans, we have that right and we should exercise it, joyfully and together.”
“Don’t give up hope. Pick one small thing you can do this week and get started. And then keep going.” “We keep the Republic by being stubborn and steadfast.”
Conclusion
“Stay informed, stay engaged, and bring others along with us. We need to be fearless about talking with people around us and explaining why democracy matters, the damage that is being done to it, and what we can do to protect it.”
“We keep the Republic by being stubborn and steadfast.”
“Never give up on talking with the people around you, the ones who have decided to look away and tolerate what’s happening.”
“We must persist until we succeed. Make your love of this country, despite her imperfections, relentless and refuse to give up. American citizenship confers a great responsibility. We must do our best, together, to live up to it.”
I follow Joyce Vance's Substack “Civil Discourse” and every night she signs off with “We’re in this together” and I truly find it comforting and inspiring. She is one of my trusted sources for information.
Read
October 29, 2025Well, only one of the chapters is a manual for how to take action. The overwhelming majority of the text recaps recent events and other history. A more apt title might have been, "This Sure Has Been a Lot, Hasn't It?"
October 24, 2025
Understanding where we are and where we need to go. Next up, read the Federalist papers.
November 19, 2025
I’m torn. On the one hand, Vance makes a compelling argument that democracy and rule of law are worth fighting for and that voting and encouraging voting are our most basic duties as citizens. On the other, a lot of the book feels rooted in Obama-era liberalism that hasn’t met the current moment. Vance never adequately addresses a hard question that comes up over and over again even in this book: how can we both defend institutions and take action when they’ve been compromised, like the current Supreme Court?
Vance also tends to conflate democracy and rule of law with the American system wholesale, arguing that we must defend and improve existing institutions. I would have liked to see her wrangle more with whether the institutions we have are actually the best ones to meet the moment and defend and promote democracy and rule of law. Ultimately, I find myself identifying most with her son, who she quotes as having lost faith in the institutions we have today but being hopeful that people are activating for change.
Ultimately, I think On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder is probably a shorter, more actionable manual for saving democracy. With Giving Up is Unforgivable, expect more of an argument that democracy and rule of law are worth participating in and saving in the first place. It’s hard to argue with that.
Vance also tends to conflate democracy and rule of law with the American system wholesale, arguing that we must defend and improve existing institutions. I would have liked to see her wrangle more with whether the institutions we have are actually the best ones to meet the moment and defend and promote democracy and rule of law. Ultimately, I find myself identifying most with her son, who she quotes as having lost faith in the institutions we have today but being hopeful that people are activating for change.
Ultimately, I think On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder is probably a shorter, more actionable manual for saving democracy. With Giving Up is Unforgivable, expect more of an argument that democracy and rule of law are worth participating in and saving in the first place. It’s hard to argue with that.
November 16, 2025
Good but not great. I guess I had very high hopes, but for me, it mostly rehashed things I already knew or had already heard. That said, it provides excellent reminders of important concepts, and I’m glad I read it for that reason alone. Nice audio narration by the author.
December 10, 2025
I follow JV on her Substack. After being a free member for a handful of months, I have recently become a paid member since I read everything she puts out.
This is timely. As a reminder, elections have consequences. This is a good history refresher, an explainer for those that could use it. The Presidency of the United States has checks on it. When used. Article 1- Congress; they've pretty much let this orange, sexist, racist, demented asshole do whatever the fuck he wants. There (finally) has been a little (emphasis on little) push-back this week, so we shall see. Article 3; the Courts; they've (for the most part) have been doing there job and holding the orange, sexist, racist, demented asshole accountable (as much as they can anyway). Then there is the Press; the Mainstream Media has been doing a little bit, but not nearly enough of what they should. Independent Media continues to do a fantastic job. I will edit to say this is my opinion; my MAGA parents would strongly disagree with that statement. Hell, this review (my dad wants me deported. Where? Not sure. I was born here, so was he, so where my grandparents, etc).
The Rule of Law in short means that no one is above the law. This is becoming questionable when one looks at all the pardons the orange, sexist, racist, demented asshole has given out. White collar crimes (Paul Walczak, George Santos, this list is massive), drug crimes (Juan Orlando Hernandez), insurrection (when he pardoned the Jan 6 participants). With the Supreme Court ruling in 2024 (Trump vs the United States) going the orange, sexist, racist, demented asshole immunity for "official acts," I honestly do not know there the Rule of Law stands anymore.
JV also discusses how controlling the narrative is important. With the "right" snapshot, they grow and take on a life of their own.
In short, be active in your community. Participate when you can. Make phone calls, write postcards, participate in boycotts (for example Home Depot), contact your elected officials, participate in the next No Kings protest.
This is timely. As a reminder, elections have consequences. This is a good history refresher, an explainer for those that could use it. The Presidency of the United States has checks on it. When used. Article 1- Congress; they've pretty much let this orange, sexist, racist, demented asshole do whatever the fuck he wants. There (finally) has been a little (emphasis on little) push-back this week, so we shall see. Article 3; the Courts; they've (for the most part) have been doing there job and holding the orange, sexist, racist, demented asshole accountable (as much as they can anyway). Then there is the Press; the Mainstream Media has been doing a little bit, but not nearly enough of what they should. Independent Media continues to do a fantastic job. I will edit to say this is my opinion; my MAGA parents would strongly disagree with that statement. Hell, this review (my dad wants me deported. Where? Not sure. I was born here, so was he, so where my grandparents, etc).
The Rule of Law in short means that no one is above the law. This is becoming questionable when one looks at all the pardons the orange, sexist, racist, demented asshole has given out. White collar crimes (Paul Walczak, George Santos, this list is massive), drug crimes (Juan Orlando Hernandez), insurrection (when he pardoned the Jan 6 participants). With the Supreme Court ruling in 2024 (Trump vs the United States) going the orange, sexist, racist, demented asshole immunity for "official acts," I honestly do not know there the Rule of Law stands anymore.
JV also discusses how controlling the narrative is important. With the "right" snapshot, they grow and take on a life of their own.
In short, be active in your community. Participate when you can. Make phone calls, write postcards, participate in boycotts (for example Home Depot), contact your elected officials, participate in the next No Kings protest.
December 13, 2025
I am a huge Joyce Vance fan and I was so excited for this book. I'm not sure exactly what I was hoping for or expecting, but this wasn't it. I found it disappointing. Since I majored in US History and minored in American Politics, I didn't need the history lessons and the summaries of the Federalist Papers. That sounds snobby as I write it and I don't mean it to be, but I just didn't find it compelling. The rest of it felt too vague to be useful. There was a lot about how you have to make sure you vote but nothing about how to mitigate the impact of decades of gerry-mandering or how to fight for fair elections now that SCOTUS gutted the voting rights act. The blurb on the cover says the book is the start of a movement to counter Project 2025, but there is nothing specific enough about how to do that. I think I was looking for either specific and inspiring plans to counter Republican power or specific and inspiring examples of ways (even small ones) communities are coming together to protect democracy. There really wasn't much of either.
October 26, 2025
This is an uplifting look at where we are in the rapidly evolving political landscape that includes words of wisdom, hope, and a call to action.
November 17, 2025
I do worry what kids growing up now are going to think about our country and it’s democracy. Are they even going to think about it at all? So much of our media and education (it seems) is built on distracting us. And even if you overcome that distraction, there are so many parts that seem hopeless and disheartening.
It is our civic responsibility as citizens !! who pay taxes !! to be properly educated and vote !! All of us live in symbiosis with one another; it blows my minnddd how much our society wants to separate us. We should all be working together to create a common good.
If you educate yourself and participate, I think hope can find you again. Because there is hope!! Thankfully America is still a democracy—and what a beautiful thing that is, but democracy only works if the people are educated and vote. We can’t hold the people in power accountable if we take no steps to do so !!
I am trying everyday to be more educated in my values, understanding our world and its history. Where the problems lie and how to fix them. It’s funny that our founding fathers wrote specifically to prevent this kind of thing.. but it gets forgotten. Taken for granted! It definitely takes a lot of mental work and energy, but I’m committed to being better!! I think, I hope 😭💔 this book definitely gave me a new direction to go in. I love when books reference older books and get you excited to read them!! To expand your knowledge 🥰
It is our civic responsibility as citizens !! who pay taxes !! to be properly educated and vote !! All of us live in symbiosis with one another; it blows my minnddd how much our society wants to separate us. We should all be working together to create a common good.
If you educate yourself and participate, I think hope can find you again. Because there is hope!! Thankfully America is still a democracy—and what a beautiful thing that is, but democracy only works if the people are educated and vote. We can’t hold the people in power accountable if we take no steps to do so !!
I am trying everyday to be more educated in my values, understanding our world and its history. Where the problems lie and how to fix them. It’s funny that our founding fathers wrote specifically to prevent this kind of thing.. but it gets forgotten. Taken for granted! It definitely takes a lot of mental work and energy, but I’m committed to being better!! I think, I hope 😭💔 this book definitely gave me a new direction to go in. I love when books reference older books and get you excited to read them!! To expand your knowledge 🥰
December 31, 2025
"A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right."
While I largely agree with what Vance is saying (and I appreciate the way she frames her argument primarily through analysis of the law and its history), I wonder about the efficacy of books that are so explicitly and exclusively political in the way this one is. She presents a strong argument against things like political apathy, but I feel like someone who's not interested in politics or has given up on politics probably wouldn't read a book like this. I enjoyed it for what it was though.
While I largely agree with what Vance is saying (and I appreciate the way she frames her argument primarily through analysis of the law and its history), I wonder about the efficacy of books that are so explicitly and exclusively political in the way this one is. She presents a strong argument against things like political apathy, but I feel like someone who's not interested in politics or has given up on politics probably wouldn't read a book like this. I enjoyed it for what it was though.
November 23, 2025
This was a quick listen and good company on a drive at 2x speed.
However, if you’re left leaning and have been paying attention to the news, it felt like nothing new. The author is kind of preaching at the choir and there’s nothing very actionable.
However, if you’re left leaning and have been paying attention to the news, it felt like nothing new. The author is kind of preaching at the choir and there’s nothing very actionable.
November 29, 2025
A civics refresher course for grownups, and a call for action while staying hopeful.
December 15, 2025
Excellent book, with the added benefit that it is brief and to the point! There's a lot in this book, so it is impressive that it clocks in under 200 pages.
The book is both honest about how bad the situation has become, but also hopeful about all the ways folks are already pushing back, and instructive in terms of how we need to push back in even more ways. Most of all, it is a good reminder that we cannot wait for anyone to come and save us, WE have to save ourselves.
The point to "a manual for keeping a democracy" is that it is up to us as citizens to maintain the expectation that democracy matters, and that we will defend it when it is endangered. Part of that is expecting elected representatives to do their jobs properly, and expecting the courts to maintain their integrity, and expecting the executive branch (including the president) to uphold the constitution: But another part of that is ensuring that there will be consequences for any and all branches of our government if they get so caught up in the temptations of power that they forget that they are supposed to be public servants, not selfish tyrants. Since we are in a regime where the party of selfish tyrants control all the branches right now, it's going to be a lot of work to defeat them and get back to the long, slow work of expanding democracy again. But we are on the way, and as the author of this book says in her usual tagline, "we're in this together."
The book is both honest about how bad the situation has become, but also hopeful about all the ways folks are already pushing back, and instructive in terms of how we need to push back in even more ways. Most of all, it is a good reminder that we cannot wait for anyone to come and save us, WE have to save ourselves.
The point to "a manual for keeping a democracy" is that it is up to us as citizens to maintain the expectation that democracy matters, and that we will defend it when it is endangered. Part of that is expecting elected representatives to do their jobs properly, and expecting the courts to maintain their integrity, and expecting the executive branch (including the president) to uphold the constitution: But another part of that is ensuring that there will be consequences for any and all branches of our government if they get so caught up in the temptations of power that they forget that they are supposed to be public servants, not selfish tyrants. Since we are in a regime where the party of selfish tyrants control all the branches right now, it's going to be a lot of work to defeat them and get back to the long, slow work of expanding democracy again. But we are on the way, and as the author of this book says in her usual tagline, "we're in this together."
December 22, 2025
I spent the weekend reading, devouring, absorbing this powerful book. It’s a MUST read book for everyone today. I couldn’t put it down and upon finishing it, I wanted to do a deeper dive into the topic, civics, and read more.
Joyce White Vance writes about our political system, the constitution, the rule of law, and the need to continue to learn and study civics. Civics is a key component in and for our democracy, our republic, our society.
Vance’s writing is clear, casual, and engaging. She pulls in current events, history, politics, and the law and provides context so that anyone, and I mean any person of any age and reading level, can understand this slim book.
What’s missing is recommendations of what to read, to explore, to study to broaden ‘our’ knowledge of civics and our society.
Kudos to Joyce White Vance for this incredibly informative and thought provoking book and for her “Civil Discourse” Substack feed.
Joyce White Vance writes about our political system, the constitution, the rule of law, and the need to continue to learn and study civics. Civics is a key component in and for our democracy, our republic, our society.
Vance’s writing is clear, casual, and engaging. She pulls in current events, history, politics, and the law and provides context so that anyone, and I mean any person of any age and reading level, can understand this slim book.
What’s missing is recommendations of what to read, to explore, to study to broaden ‘our’ knowledge of civics and our society.
Kudos to Joyce White Vance for this incredibly informative and thought provoking book and for her “Civil Discourse” Substack feed.
December 5, 2025
I listened to this book twice because the first part of the book reviews historic and civic details I wanted to clearly grasp (I’m sure I “learned” about them in school but my attention often wandered then). The author reads the book and I think that always adds something extra. Vance’s explanations and examples are clear and relatable. The book is worth reading.
November 6, 2025
Encouraging book tracing how we came to our current political situation and what might bring us out. The writing, with postscript, ends in June 2025 as events have continued to roll with crazy speed to more outrageous plots. It was well written and informative, but can't encompass the rapidly evolving situation in this country. I adore and support the Substack writing.
January 12, 2026
At a time that is hard to have hope in the United States, this book helped me re-establish hope and reignited my spark to keep fighting the systems and people of oppression. I highly recommend this book!
November 16, 2025
This was definitely a love letter to the American people. I learned a lot and I truly appreciate this novel. After reading it I am filled with hope and a feeling I haven't felt in a while....pride in my country. Our Democracy is important and it is worth keeping and fighting for. I will never take it for granted again.
November 30, 2025
Short and to the point, but still packed full of information! I thought this was a great read and it was super easy to get through!!!
January 5, 2026
3.5. Good tho doesn’t say much that hasn’t been said.
January 16, 2026
hey everyone please read this thanks 🙏
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January 8, 2026Lately, it feels like maintaining this democracy is a full time job. I don't know if I feel more motivated/equipped after listening to this audiobook, or if I'm in the same spot.
October 31, 2025
With the constant, daily assaults on our democracy here in the U.S., I didn't think I was in the mood for this book, despite loving Joyce Vance's daily newsletter and analysis. However, I absolutely inhaled this book on audio, finishing it in one day, and I plan to listen to it again this weekend with my husband. It turns out that this book was exactly what I needed to feel inspired, hopeful, and eager to fight for a better country and a better world.
November 11, 2025
Fifty stars for Joyce Vance and her book “Giving Up Is Unforgivable—A Manual for Democracy.” She states throughout the book that the people hold the power and we must work to ensure that our power isn’t lost. A former federal prosecutor, Vance stresses the need for Civics education, so that the citizenry is fully aware of our rights and responsibilities. Chief among them is the responsibility to vote and protect the rights of all qualified people to vote. She urges everyone to participate in whatever way is good for them, and she gives examples of what those actions might be.
As we approach the 250th anniversary of 1776, I strongly recommend everyone read this book and take part in strengthening our democracy.
As we approach the 250th anniversary of 1776, I strongly recommend everyone read this book and take part in strengthening our democracy.
November 19, 2025
On one hand this is a very timing and profoundly important book. Saying every American should read this is a given. Everyone should read this book because it’s neither republican or democrat…it’s American and more importantly what America is supposed to be about and stand for. The threat to precisely just that is unfortunately our current president and his administration. What he’s doing to the constitution and rule of law should disgust everyone but I digress. Now, on the other hand I sadly found myself agreeing more with of all people the author’s youngest child(22 years old) on our current state of affairs and how to possibly fix them. Basically he mentions that for as long as he’s been alive, there hasn’t been a real democracy. That people with power, money, and influence control everything. That it’s an insult to try and demand change from the powers at be who are millionaires and billionaires with connections everywhere. That protests simply don’t do shit to change anything. For instance the “Occupy Wall Street” protest and how that changed absolutely nothing. Wall Street is as corrupt and evil as ever. And the latest “No Kings Rally” literally only got the president to post a cartoon of himself defecating on the protestors. Oh and while he still dines and travels and lives and behaves like a fucking King. I want to believe that the better angels of our society in positions of power will ultimately make the right decisions when the timing comes but I sadly have major doubts. Color me a cynic or pessimist or whatever the hell you want but my stance won’t change. I’ve been around the block many times and have read a ton of history to know that my doubts are well founded. I just hope I’m proven deadass wrong. This book gets a strong recommendation from me. Happy reading!
January 12, 2026
Vance offers a longer view of legal history and a hopeful perspective on what is seemingly the start of the end of our country as a democratic republic suffering a constitutional crisis. From its very break from England, the US has experienced the tension of surviving from Ben Franklin's skepticism about "our republic, if we can keep it," through the southern secession and the Civil War, to the current authoritarian regime of the Trump Administration.
With her extensive legal Justice Department background serving as the US Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama and current professorship teaching law at the University of Alabama, this author points out how threatened our civil and government institutions are. In her view Trump is methodically following the playbook of an unprincipled authoritarian, foreshadowed by the Project 2025 document. He aims to consolidate executive power, reshape federal policies and implement a far-right agenda, curtailing civil rights of all kinds.
She still inspires hope in the future, though she's worried that the younger generation will have grown up under the disabling sense that power and wealth controls the world, so what difference can an individual make. She is encouraged by the ability of our institutions in the past to bend, not break. She points out that states and local communities can bring their own influence to bear, and finds that our population's size and cultural differences lend diversity of thought and opinion to the body politic. While Trump & Co can market disinformation, promote alternative facts and fool a lot of people, reality will sooner or later catch up with the Administration.
In the meantime individuals can vote, protest, refute the lies, register to vote and encourage others to do the same.
With her extensive legal Justice Department background serving as the US Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama and current professorship teaching law at the University of Alabama, this author points out how threatened our civil and government institutions are. In her view Trump is methodically following the playbook of an unprincipled authoritarian, foreshadowed by the Project 2025 document. He aims to consolidate executive power, reshape federal policies and implement a far-right agenda, curtailing civil rights of all kinds.
She still inspires hope in the future, though she's worried that the younger generation will have grown up under the disabling sense that power and wealth controls the world, so what difference can an individual make. She is encouraged by the ability of our institutions in the past to bend, not break. She points out that states and local communities can bring their own influence to bear, and finds that our population's size and cultural differences lend diversity of thought and opinion to the body politic. While Trump & Co can market disinformation, promote alternative facts and fool a lot of people, reality will sooner or later catch up with the Administration.
In the meantime individuals can vote, protest, refute the lies, register to vote and encourage others to do the same.
November 22, 2025
Key Take Aways:
* We mustn’t doze off
* Understanding government and how it works is now essential
* The practice of democracy makes it a verb
* Progress doesn’t always stick - look at the long arc of history
* Help other people as their rights matter as much as your own.
This new book by Joyce Vance’s is essential reading because it combines her expertise as a former U.S. Attorney with a deeply human, accessible voice that makes the topic at hand relatable and she conveys the message of the moment well: democratic institutions feel fragile and are under attack. Vance doesn’t just describe the legal system, she explains how it works, why it matters, and what happens when the public becomes disengaged. She draws on real cases, personal reflections, and decades of experience to show that participation, vigilance, and accountability are not abstract ideals but practical responsibilities. The book reminds readers that democracy is not self-sustaining; it lives or dies based on whether everyday people remain informed and committed.
The book is also a call to civic empowerment rather than despair. Vance writes with urgency, but never gives in to doom and gloom messaging. She argues that “giving up” is exactly what allows corruption, extremism, and erosion of norms to take holds:. Throughout the book, she states that ordinary citizens have far more power than they realize: we are each essential players in a functioning democracy.
Her message is clear: understanding the law strengthens your voice and protecting our democratic systems requires all of us. It’s both a warning and a blueprint for hopeful, engaged citizenship.
* We mustn’t doze off
* Understanding government and how it works is now essential
* The practice of democracy makes it a verb
* Progress doesn’t always stick - look at the long arc of history
* Help other people as their rights matter as much as your own.
This new book by Joyce Vance’s is essential reading because it combines her expertise as a former U.S. Attorney with a deeply human, accessible voice that makes the topic at hand relatable and she conveys the message of the moment well: democratic institutions feel fragile and are under attack. Vance doesn’t just describe the legal system, she explains how it works, why it matters, and what happens when the public becomes disengaged. She draws on real cases, personal reflections, and decades of experience to show that participation, vigilance, and accountability are not abstract ideals but practical responsibilities. The book reminds readers that democracy is not self-sustaining; it lives or dies based on whether everyday people remain informed and committed.
The book is also a call to civic empowerment rather than despair. Vance writes with urgency, but never gives in to doom and gloom messaging. She argues that “giving up” is exactly what allows corruption, extremism, and erosion of norms to take holds:. Throughout the book, she states that ordinary citizens have far more power than they realize: we are each essential players in a functioning democracy.
Her message is clear: understanding the law strengthens your voice and protecting our democratic systems requires all of us. It’s both a warning and a blueprint for hopeful, engaged citizenship.
December 27, 2025
A Necessary Wake-Up Call for Civic Engagement 🇺🇸🗳️
Giving Up Is Unforgivable is a timely and accessible guide that underscores what’s at stake for American democracy — and why disengagement is not an option.
One of the most eye-opening aspects of the book is its clear explanation of how voting rights have changed over the past 15 years, often in ways that make it easier for states to restrict access and create additional barriers to voting. The author poses a sobering question: Why are some fighting so hard to limit participation? 🤔 The answer, implied throughout, is precisely why participation matters. If voting weren’t powerful, it wouldn’t be under attack. That reality makes the call to vote — in every election — feel urgent rather than routine 🗳️✨.
Beyond voting, the book encourages readers to educate themselves more deeply, including taking civics courses, building community with others, and openly sharing ideas as a way to strengthen democratic norms 🤝📚. There’s also a thoughtful return to the Federalist Papers, reminding us that the founders intentionally designed a system with three equal branches of government — not a king 👑❌ — and that safeguarding that balance remains our responsibility.
Perhaps the most lasting image is the warning not to be the frog in the pot 🐸 — slowly adjusting as the water heats up, unaware of the danger until it’s too late. The message is clear: complacency is itself a threat. We must stay alert, speak up, and take action to protect democratic values before erosion becomes irreversible ⚠️.
Any book that reminds you why democracy requires effort — and inspires you to defend it — is a book worth reading 💪🇺🇸.
Giving Up Is Unforgivable is a timely and accessible guide that underscores what’s at stake for American democracy — and why disengagement is not an option.
One of the most eye-opening aspects of the book is its clear explanation of how voting rights have changed over the past 15 years, often in ways that make it easier for states to restrict access and create additional barriers to voting. The author poses a sobering question: Why are some fighting so hard to limit participation? 🤔 The answer, implied throughout, is precisely why participation matters. If voting weren’t powerful, it wouldn’t be under attack. That reality makes the call to vote — in every election — feel urgent rather than routine 🗳️✨.
Beyond voting, the book encourages readers to educate themselves more deeply, including taking civics courses, building community with others, and openly sharing ideas as a way to strengthen democratic norms 🤝📚. There’s also a thoughtful return to the Federalist Papers, reminding us that the founders intentionally designed a system with three equal branches of government — not a king 👑❌ — and that safeguarding that balance remains our responsibility.
Perhaps the most lasting image is the warning not to be the frog in the pot 🐸 — slowly adjusting as the water heats up, unaware of the danger until it’s too late. The message is clear: complacency is itself a threat. We must stay alert, speak up, and take action to protect democratic values before erosion becomes irreversible ⚠️.
Any book that reminds you why democracy requires effort — and inspires you to defend it — is a book worth reading 💪🇺🇸.
January 3, 2026
Joyce Vance and Heather Cox Richardson are the two bastions of progressive legal and historic analysis. Since I'm a huge fan of Vance's Substack Civil Discourse and her two Podcasts Sisters in Law and Cafe Insider with Preet Bharara, I was eager to read Giving Up Is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping a Democracy.
This was better than most political / legal analysis books, so I am rating it Four Stars. For one thing, it's mercifully short at 175 pages. The book endeavors to validate that democracy is worthwhile, and that our institutions--the free press, the courts, academia, etc.--are worthwhile and are worth saving. It then exhorts us to take action in the final chapter, "We Are the Calvary." Love that name.
The book is well-researched and well-thought out. Vance isn't just whistling Dixie! (Inside joke)
A couple of favorite quotes:
--Ronald Reagan, US President
--Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
This was better than most political / legal analysis books, so I am rating it Four Stars. For one thing, it's mercifully short at 175 pages. The book endeavors to validate that democracy is worthwhile, and that our institutions--the free press, the courts, academia, etc.--are worthwhile and are worth saving. It then exhorts us to take action in the final chapter, "We Are the Calvary." Love that name.
The book is well-researched and well-thought out. Vance isn't just whistling Dixie! (Inside joke)
A couple of favorite quotes:
Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. The only way they can inherit the freedom we have known is if we fight for it, protect it, defend it, and then hand it to them with th well-taught lessons of how they in their lifetime must do the same.
--Ronald Reagan, US President
The simple step of a courageous man is not to take part in the lie.
--Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
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