This Is The Plan: How to End America's Meltdown and Save Democracy

by Ben Wikler

From one of the most successful Democratic strategists of the last decade, a revelatory account of what you—yes, you—can do to defeat Trumpism.

This Is the Plan is a hope-unleashing answer for anyone who has looked at the wreckage of American politics and How the hell do we get out of this mess? Ben Wikler, hailed as the "preeminent state party chair" by Nancy Pelosi, led Wisconsin Democrats through a series of hold-your-breath fights against right-wing extremists that resulted, against the odds, in the unrigging of the political system of the most divided—and, until recently, most gerrymandered—state in the nation. Now, he draws on decades of experience in everything from school-board races to presidential elections to bring readers inside the hidden web of power that shapes our lives. At every step, he shows what individuals and small groups can do to help build a future where democracy thrives and our country works for everyone. With verve, infectious humor, and a rallying-cry energy that has inspired tens of thousands of volunteers, This Is the Plan is the book so many Americans have been waiting for: An idealistic-yet-practical guide to turning the present crisis into a better future.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Audiobook, History, Activism

328 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 21, 2026

Reviews

[Sharon Orlopp]

Outstanding book! Highly recommend!

"You've got your superpower--your power to organize, to persuade, and to bring together a group of like-minded people to make grassroots engagement a part of your lives, week after week, year after year, election after election."

A friend recommended that I watch a video clip of author Ben Wikler being interviewed by Jon Stewart on The Daily Show. Wikler was the Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair from July 2019 to July 2025. Prior to that, he was the former senior advisor for MoveOn. The Daily Show video clip is about Wikler talking aboutThis Is The Plan: How to End America's Meltdown and Save Democracy.

The book is inspirational, educational, humorous, disturbing, and a must-read for anyone, especially those focused on making a difference in our democracy. The book starts with an emphasis on local elections and then moves to federal elections.

Arizona, where I live, is one of seven battleground states from the last three US presidential elections (2024, 2020, and 2016). It is highly likely that Arizona and the other six battleground states will be close races for the US president in 2028.

I am a huge believer and active participant in relational organizing, where you gather friends and neighbors together to make a difference. This book is an excellent study guide on how to do that and how to make a huge impact. It is called the snowflake model of organizing.

I also learned a new vocabulary word, jeremiad: a long, mournful complaint, speech, or writing that laments the state of society and its upcoming doom. Instead, we should all be dealers in hope.

[Cindy]

Things look bleak in America these days. Rising prices, a lower quality of life, and corruption at the top: I could cry for all that we've lost since 45 first came to power. But there is a bright spot on the horizon. Author and political organizer Ben Wikler recounts the steps taken in Wisconsin that brought it back from the red. He then outlines how the same focus can be deployed across the country (especially in battleground states) to ensure democracy survives. And if you're not convinced, he describes in detail what's at stake for the 2026 midterms and in 2028. Issues like ending the filibuster and enforcing term limits for SCOTUS are discussed. After listening to the audiobook, breathlessly narrated by the author, I am inspired to redouble my efforts to get more involved, especially at the local level.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who doesn't believe that small changes can make a big difference, or who thinks that their one vote doesn't matter, because all is not lost...yet. This is a timely and encouraging book, an invitation to act, and as the title suggests, The Plan to save Democracy in America. It should be required reading for anyone who hasn't voted, doesn't vote, or isn't sure why they should vote. For such an important and serious topic, the book is also funny at times, which makes the hard truth more palateable.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @Kalorama, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook of #ThisisthePlan for review purposes. Publication date: 21 July 2026.

[Kelly]

Read this. Vote. Now.

[lauren]

I was totally surprised by this book for a variety of reasons, in the best way possible.

Let me first commend Ben Wikler for his approach to write this book with much humor woven in. As a non-history lover, I tend to struggle with non-fiction and educational books, but read them "for my own good". Most are fact and stat heavy, and tend to be quite dry. What Wikler has done is a breath of fresh air. This book felt like having a discussion with my friend - plenty of puns, jokes, and quick-witted humor - with lots of deep thoughts and facts. The book was much more engaging and interesting, without sacrificing any of the important takeaways. Why are more nonfiction books not written like this? I finished reading and actually felt ENERGIZED!

With most books of this nature, I don't typically agree with every point made, but appreciate hearing the thought and reasoning behind the points. That makes for a better, well rounded mind. I did really find a lot of Wikler's points to be innovative, however. I really loved the emphasis on local communities - it seems that often in these larger elections, local races get overlooked. I learned SO much about Wisconsin's political history which I found fascinating! Overall, this was a very well researched and organized book that actually made me feel inspired to get involved in the upcoming elections. I can't say that is a common outcome of prior books I've read on similar topics.

I really enjoyed the audiobook! It's always a personal preference of mine to listen to the author narrating their own book. Ben Wikler's passion and humor really came through on the audiobook! Loved listening and would highly recommend that version.

[Michel Friedhofer]

This book is a good idea, poorly executed.

Ben Wikler warns us right in the introduction:

"My goal is to make this book both a road map out of political darkness and a rousing call to arms and a delightful comic break from a world gone mad."

Unfortunately, the author peppers the text with an unreasonable amount of comedic remarks -- so many, in fact, that it undermines the legitimacy of otherwise very important and valid arguments he tries to make. Furthermore, the specific type of humor that the book is littered with works better in spoken form rather than written, which compounds the distraction. I don't entirely blame the author, though; in my opinion, it is the editor's job to guide the author towards an adequate version of their vision. Dan Gerstle, the editor acknowledged by Wikler in the book's final notes, is to blame here.

Thickly layered humor aside, I do fault Wikler on two other fronts.

The first is the intended audience. While the primary target reader of the book is obviously the American voter, the author misses out on the opportunity to cater to two other segments that could, at the very least, bolster the book's reputation -- and, who knows, maybe even take on a more active role in his Plan to Save Democracy: the first neglected segment is that of legal residents of the the United States that happen not be citizens and, therefore, cannot vote (but who are nevertheless very directly affected by the outcome of every American election), and the second is that of potential readers in the rest of the world (also, as the book itself affirms, profoundly impacted by the same elections).

Wikler also fails to explain some key concepts in a language that is understandable and accessible to those who don't happen to live and breathe politics and legislative procedure. While he is successful in explaining that local elections ultimately drive world-changing effects, he does not fare so well when making a case against the filibuster. A couple of simplified examples of how the filibuster has been weaponized, explained without assuming that the reader is familiar with its dynamics, would have been helpful.

Finally.. I cringed when I read this passage:

You may recall the phone number for the Capitol switchboard from the previous two times I’ve mentioned it. But just in case, here it is again: 202-224-3121. Maybe get a wrist tattoo so you can see it while holding your phone.

Alluding to tattooing a number on one's arm is, to say the least, tone-deaf. If you don’t know why, send me a message and I will explain it to you.

Read the book. Do your best not to roll your eyes at the nonstop attempts at humor. There is some good meat in there, but you will have to do some work to get to it.

[Henry Berg]

I really enjoyed this book. This may be bragging but I kind of knew the history part (Wisconsin politics from Scott Walker to present) because of being a NERD, but I enjoyed learning about his strategies and organization efforts. I thought the concept of relational organizing was very interesting. He started to lose me when he started talking about the future and what Dems should do if they get the majority (nuke the filibuster, pass voting rights, etc) not because I don't agree but I think it detracted from the message about being organized. At points when he would do this, it felt more like a Dem 2028 fever dream than a realistic plan to action. Still really enjoyed it, would recommend. Doesn't really require that much background knowledge, I must say.

[Megan]

Funny, informative without being overbearing, and the dose of hope and action that I needed.

[Cathrine "Capi"]

If you have been disgusted, annoyed, frustrated, angered, depressed, despondent, fired up, ready to quit.....any or all of these emotions and more because of the lawless, oligarch-based, corruption-based regime we are currently living under, know that YOU ARE NOT ALONE! I've been actively studyiing and reading for the past few years to understand why we are here, what we need to do to fix the existing problems, how we go about doing that, and how we stay inspired to keep trying and not just throw our hands up in despair. This book is a great source of inspiration, of things we MUST work on, and how we can achieve the restoration of our democracy. Democracy is not, and has never been, perfect, and it takes WORK to keep it going. But, while many of us only see the ugliness and the way the regime is trying to subvert our vote, there are MANY people every single day making progress in the courts, in the state and local legislatures, telling this regime NO, and fighting back against the crimes and corruption and blatant disregard for the Constitution, for the very soul of America. The author throws in plenty of humor, which is important, too...we can't let despair take over, we cannot give up. I've listened to the author in many interviews, and what he said has resonated with me. I marked MANY passages in the book and I expect I will read it again. Currently the 2026 midterms are less than 2 months away, I have HOPE, but it will take effort from ALL of us...the mighty WE!!

[Rachel]

I really enjoyed this book. I thought Ben Wikler did a great job sharing a lot of useful information about how politics in this country works, really useful recent history to understand how we got to where we are today, and somehow managed to be hopeful and inspiring. I felt more hopeful after finishing this book that we really can turn things around than I have felt in a while. If you're considering reading this book, I really recommend reading it NOW before the November 2026 election and while there is still time to do participate in impacting the outcomes.

Not a big deal at all, but I listened to the audiobook, which is read by the author, and he does a great job. A weird thing I have never encountered before in listening to an audiobook is that there are a lot of times where you can hear him taking a breath that didn't get edited out for some reason. I am not going to begrudge him needing to breathe but I have never heard that before in an audiobook recording, so I found it a bit odd.

After a while I stopped noticing it, though, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it for anyone that prefers the audio format.

I would also say that his Dad jokes really grew on me throughout the book. I was rolling my eyes at the beginning but somehow either the jokes got better or I started appreciating his style of injecting humor into a really serious topic.

I highly recommend to anyone to read this book ASAP.

[Will Atkins]

I know, it’s heresy, but I didn’t particularly like the book. It’s more of a “this is what happened in Wisconsin” and less a plan for Democrats writ large across the country. As interesting as Wisconsin is, and as amazing of a job as Wikler did there, Florida is no Wisconsin, and while the overall message is sound, I could have done without the entire history of Wisconsin politics and politicians in a book titled as a plan for everyone else.

[Andrew Schaeffler]

Written by the chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party - listed actionable steps at all levels of government to interact with democracy and the democratic process over the next few weeks and years, but wasn’t much of a page turner and included virtually no stories from his time as WDP Chair. I appreciated the discussion of state governments and down ballot positions, though. Shoutout to my parents for getting this from the library after seeing him on MSNBC

[Randall]

My interest was how do we make a better world. No surprise, Winkler says vote for the democratic ticket. Thus only four stars. Still, very good information, like the importance of talking with neighbors and friends who are likely to listen to you and be influenced vs the lug on the corner screaming nonsense.

[Kathleen]

Interesting, informative at times entertaining but recommend the print version not the audio. Because you may want to reference something later and that’s impossible with audio.

[Vicki Tillman]

A must-read. I listened to the audiobook. I will read the paperback.

[Terri Gulyas]

Hopeful, optimistic, learned a lot about the history of Wisconsin politics

[Linda]

3.5
Interesting. Wikler is a former chair of the Democratic Party in Wisconsin. He narrates this book himself in a very conversational manner (at times acknowledging the listener). He has a plan, with proof from his tenure, of actions that will enable a return to a more sensible government.
I especially appreciated the explanation of Ohio's gerrymandered districts despite the constituents voting for more equitable districts.

[Sean]

The Plan is to vote for Democrats so that democracy can be saved.

Y’know, the same message that lost in 2024?

Very little suggestion of how saving democracy benefits the economy, which Wikler cites as voters primary concern. It’s the economy, stupid.

Lots of discussions on the last decade of Wisconsin politics.

I didn’t enjoy the comedic tone paired with the author’s sporadic breaths in the audiobook so that also contributes to the rating.

[Reb]

I got an advance copy of the book and finished within 48 hours. It's terrific.

Wikler makes obscure history and politics feel lively and interesting, and it's very awarely pitched to a reader who deeply cares about politics and is mad/despairing that others don't. (I.e., me and most of my circles.) And it's genuinely funny.

The book is action oriented towards getting people interested in ongoing organizing ("a permanent campaign" is his language) and the small actions that are effective. This is a huge improvement over so many armchair pundit political books that are long on diagnoses and short on solutions, especially short on solutions that the reader can meaningfully work towards. The book has compelling, accessible presentations of the structural, pro-small-d-democracy change that we need, from breaking up Republican state-level trifectas and winning state Supreme Courts to un-gerrymander state legislatures, all the way up to ending the filibuster and reforming SCOTUS. Does a good job of showing how it all works together in a way that feels like now I understand the project before us better, and NOT in a way that feels like "we're doomed because there are too many things to fix."

I'd like it to have been stronger in 2 ways - both intimately wound up with my particular work so no surprise there. Wikler touches a few times on the importance of donating to political organizing, in ways that acknowledge people have wildly different access to money. I'd like this to have been a stronger call for those with more money to step it up. There's a huge group of people who are affluent/professional class who I work with and who give substantial donations that make a real difference, and I'm obsessed with people who can give $1000 or $5000 really going for it where many of them are accustomed to giving $100 or $500 here and there. (People who can give even more, should do it! But again, I'm personally focused on this class level. It's so easy to think that the "really rich" should do the giving, but let's make sure that the merely well-off are part of the plan.)

My strongest critique is that the book is light on references to community organizing groups outside the Democratic Party (and its county and state level entities) - that's the world I've worked in since 2010 and is an incredibly diverse, lively, and powerful space for regular people to engage in politics. Ben has worked in both "inside" spaces like, of course, the Wisconsin Democratic Party, and "outside" spaces like MoveOn. I think the book would have been stronger - especially in its goal of connecting regular people to action they can take to make real change - with more examples or stories of "outside" group work. Perhaps this is driven by my own bias, but I think many people who are poised for action don't find the Democratic Party inspiring now and would sooner plug into very effective work with a wide array of local and state organizing groups.

Finally, one thing I found notably well done was how he sidesteps a lot of "issue" talk for a positive vision of making people's lives better, rather than getting deep into specifics around immigration, repro, gender, climate, etc. To me it was a masterful approach to talking to the broad tent of "our side" and focusing on the framings and values that matter to people who aren't deeply steeped in politics. I can see an argument that this is a cop-out from the perspective of someone who wants to see the progressive agenda outlined in more urgent terms, or who feels that it's irresponsible or erasing not to be clearer about the harms of the authoritarian takeover we're facing and the people most targeted and harmed. But from my perspective (as a pretty fierce progressive), I think Wikler is modeling a principled winning message and the right level of focus for this type of book. He does use issues as examples of where our system is failing to give voters the policy preferences they actively vote for (eg abortion rights) and where Republicans weasel out of their own professed values/commitments.

All in all - a strong recommendation. Did I mention it's funny? It's funny! Give it a read!

[Kate]

"If you are looking at the spiraling crisis of American politics in the Trump era and wondering how the hell w get out of this mess, This Is the Plan is the book you've been waiting for.

"Ben Wikler led the Democratic Party of Wisconsin to a string of improbable victories in a state with a political system so rigged that it was dubbe a 'democracy desert' -- which is, coincidentally, Trump's goal for the whole country.

"Now, in This Is the Plan, Wikler distills lessons from the front lines in America's most closely divided state to map out a comprehensive program to dictator-proof American government, defeat MAGA at every level of the ballot, and build a future of democracy,opportunity, and freedom for all.

"It will be a blast. The plan is to, as he writes, 'have fun storming the castle . . . in a civil, metaphorical, and non-January-6th-y way.'

"Drawing on decades of organizing, from local races (including a race for county coroner that hinged on the issue of zombification) to presidential show-downs, Wikler brings us behind the scenes to explore the hidden structures of power that shape our politics and out lives, and takes us into the art and science of winning elections. As he details a people-powered path out of the political wilderness, Wikler demonstrates what you personally can do to move the needle.

"This Is the Plan reveals, year by year and step by step, a vision to not only end America's collapse into authoritarianism but also reconnect us to our neighbors -- and, fighting side by side for democracy, build meaning, community, and joy."
~~front and back flaps

This is a great read, not only because the author has a wicked sense of humor, but because "The Plan" offers a ray of hope in an otherwise ghastly political landscape. And if you're like me, you thought there never could be a shred of hope. So read the book. See where you can join in and help turn the tide, no matter what state you live in.
And the best part? The democracy Wikler describes and envisions is the democracy this country was founded to be.

[Joe]

The conventional narrative from the Democratic party on the elections from 2016 or so through 2026, with a special focus on Wisconsin. There's a lot of Wisconsin. I wouldn't be surprised if Wisconsin appeared on every other page. The book builds to its "plan" through 2030 or so at the end. I don't think anyone will find that plan too shocking.

The focus on Wisconsin makes sense, since the author was head of the Democratic Party in Wisconsin. Write what you know. The state has been considered crucial over the last few elections. It has also mostly escaped partisan gerrymandering, so the author offers it as a model for states like Georgia and North Carolina.

Anyone steeped in Wisconsin electoral politics since 2016 will know most of this already. Some of the stories might be new to you (I already knew the story about the Wisconsin Supreme Court justice who physically attacked another one; you may not). I found some good trivia; I didn't know that Wikler's godmother was Ada Deer, or that he was friends with Aaron Swartz.

But it's not an easy book to recommend. I'd guess the best audience is young people in Wisconsin who have Trump and have no idea where to start, or what has been going on. This fills in a lot of gaps quickly. Do those people exist, and do they read books? The book has a good sense of humor; it's like Wikler puts himself into the goofy professor role, self-deprecating knowing that younger people might roll their eyes at his jokes. That's the tone, easy enough for young people to get through it and try their hand at picking up where he left off.

[Sara Broun]

This Is the Plan is an energetic and hopeful examination of the challenges facing American democracy and the practical work required to strengthen it. Ben Wikler draws on years of experience in political organizing and campaign strategy to offer readers an inside look at how power operates—and, more importantly, how ordinary people and small groups can help create meaningful change.

What makes the book especially compelling is its balance of idealism and practicality. Rather than simply describing the problems facing American politics, Wikler focuses on what can be done to confront them. His experiences in Wisconsin and across different levels of political organizing provide a valuable perspective on the persistence, strategy, and collective action needed to overcome deeply entrenched political challenges.

With its combination of political insight, humor, urgency, and optimism, *This Is the Plan* is an encouraging read for anyone interested in democracy, civic engagement, political organizing, and the possibility of building a stronger future. It is a timely reminder that meaningful change often begins when individuals decide to get involved and work together.

[Molly]

As someone who has paid a lot of attention to Wisconsin politics specifically and the broader national context of policy work and organizing for many years, this book gives a great perspective on those things. In some cases, it reminded (retraumatized?) me about things I worked on and cared a lot about but have sort of faded away in the more glaring urgency of these political times (the Government Accountability Board, anyone? Also doing election protection in Milwaukee in April 2020, going home to an empty house and self-quarantining for two weeks from my family because I was terrified I’d be bringing home COVID…) It made me reflect on some things I’ve not thought much about lately.

But the book is worth reading, doesn’t take itself too seriously, and is bringing a lot of important knowledge together to make a compelling argument. I’ve mentioned Michelle Alexander’s New Jim Crow when telling people about it- that work wasn’t 100% original research or new ideas, but it put everything into one accessible book that changed a lot of people’s thoughts and hearts. I could see this one being similarly impactful.

[Laura]

3.5 stars. I'm speculating, but I imagine most people who pick up this book do so because they already know who Ben Wikler is and are familiar with his work with WisDems. For that reason, they probably don't need a book-length review of the history of Wisconsin politics or the general erosion of American democracy over the past few decades, but that is what you're going to get with this book.

Overall, I was pretty bored, and not particularly charmed by the constant extremely corny jokes. I do think the takeaways of the importance of passing the NPVIC, eliminating the filibuster, and Supreme Court reforms are interesting and may not be the kind of things that even the already very politically engaged people reading this book have heard much of before. And I did get an idea for some volunteering that I hadn't previously thought about and will hopefully be doing leading up to the midterms, so there's that! I just think that this could have easily been 100-150 pages shorter without losing any impact.

[Brenda Kochis]

Ben Wikler took Wisconsin's political system from "democracy desert" to a genuine model of organizing success, and this book is his attempt to hand that playbook to the rest of us. It's part strategy manual, part behind-the-scenes account of two decades of campaigns — down to a county coroner race that somehow hinged on zombies.

What makes it work is the tone: clear-eyed about how bad things are, but practical rather than doom-laden, with enough humor to keep it from reading like a policy memo. Wikler's own line about wanting to "storm the castle" in a "civil, metaphorical" way sums up the book pretty well — urgent, but not grim.

It's unapologetically political, and it knows exactly who it's for. If you've been wondering what an ordinary volunteer can actually do that matters, this gives you real answers instead of vague inspiration. Recommended if you want momentum; skip it if you're after something neutral.

[Andy]

The book overall is a good pitch for why this guy should be in charge of the national Democratic Party.
I listened to the audio, read by the author. This is really dry inside baseball stuff about how our government and campaigns should be organized. The author, who once worked for the Onion, keeps it light with silly humor, which is not hilarious comedy but is good enough to make this muck readable. And that's something. If you've wondered about the history of the fillibuster but not enough to look it up, this is the book for you.
The advice about organizing and such seems sound. What was missing for me was the substance about actually helping people, since that's the point according to the author, as opposed to just winning elections. His claim to fame is helping Democrats to get elected in Wisconsin. Okay, so what? What has improved: infant mortality, potholes, cheese curd prices?

[Dena]

After getting the hardcover book I also listened to the audio version. Wikler does have a plan for organizing for the every year starting now through 2032 (and beyond). While his humor often isn't my cuppa, I appreciate he's trying to make it easier to hear all the data. It is clear that to "save democracy" will take an enormous effort. On one hand I thought there were too many stats and discussions of election wins and losses. On the other hand, his discussions of fairly close losses and the repercussions of those losses might convince the "my vote doesn't matter" folks to vote. In 2017, in Virginia, one of the races for the state House was tied. They picked the winner by putting the names in a hat. That one seat gave the majority in the House to the Republicans. One vote can make a difference.

[Vanessa KB]

I think Ben Wikler is INCREDIBLY intelligent and his insights seem to be correct. His heart is in the right place, and I think the ideas outlined in the book are good ones, but sometimes it seemed difficult to connect the "plan" to everything that's going on right now. Part of that may be because he frequently jumps back and forth between the past historical data and the current trajectories. Good to have this info but I fear that this book may not reach the people it needs to. I hope I'm wrong. Regardless of whether I enjoyed the book, thought it was structured well, etc... Folks who care about the future of American democracy need to digest this information. And fast.

It may have been better to read the physical book rather than listen to the audio to better digest Wikler's insights.

[Mariana]

Hear me out: this is a powerfully hopeful, optimistic, humorous call to action. (Long live the Princess Bride!) The deck may be stacked, the odds may be against us, but local democracy matters so, so, so much. As a Minnesotan (since 2017), I recognize I live in the state that fights Wisconsin, Maine, and a couple of others (ekes out the win most years!) for voter turnout…civic engagement is the norm here, as is grassroots organizing. I wish I were in a stage of life that allowed me to do more of this meaningful work, but…HEY, YOU! YOU! READING THIS REVIEW! If you do not also have two preschoolers and work full-time without family nearby…the exciting, connection-driven, meaningful work might be on offer for you. :)

[Nancy]

This Is The Plan is Vote Save America's book club pick for Summer 2026. I finished this book days before our last book club meeting. We will be joined by the author in a few days.

I have been active in the political field for about ten years (why, what happened in 2016). The plans in this book are detailed but also partly what those of us active have been doing. Wisconsin Democrats were an example of stellar campaigning but the history illustrated in this book is pretty Wisconsin heavy.

The final chapter lays out the truth: we are never going to be finished working to maintain democracy. But there are also some ideas for how we get it.

Step one: Vote.

[Mel]

Full disclosure I was an instructor in the Wisconsin university system when Scott Walker came to power so I have strong feelings about the conservative Republican agenda. So we have a plan offered on a state model. The model charts a liberal period followed by conservative/ oligarchs take over and coming back from that period. This offered hope with a nice dose of humor. So is this plan possible? It seems reasonable. The key is getting everybody engaged. So read it and see if it offers you a place. Democracy could be on the line and November is coming.