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We Are Indivisible: A Blueprint for Democracy After Trump
This is a story of democracy under threat. It’s the story of a movement rising up to respond. And it’s a story of what comes next.
Shortly after Trump’s election, two outraged former congressional staffers wrote and posted a tactical guide to resisting the Trump agenda. This Google Doc entitled “Indivisible” was meant to be read by friends and family. No one could have predicted what happened next. It went viral, sparking the creation of thousands of local Indivisible groups in red, blue, and purple states, mobilizing millions of people and evolving into a defining movement of the Trump Era. From crowding town halls to killing TrumpCare to rallying around candidates to build the Blue Wave, Indivisibles powered the fight against Trump—and pushed the limits of what was politically possible.
In We Are Indivisible: A Blueprint for Democracy After Trump, the (still-married!) co-executive directors of Indivisible tell the story of the movement. They offer a behind-the-scenes look at how change comes to Washington, whether Washington wants it or not. And they explain how we’ll win the coming fight for the future of American democracy. We Are Indivisible isn’t a book of platitudes about hope; it’s a steely-eyed guide to people power—how to find it, how to build it, and how to use it to usher in the post-Trump era.
Shortly after Trump’s election, two outraged former congressional staffers wrote and posted a tactical guide to resisting the Trump agenda. This Google Doc entitled “Indivisible” was meant to be read by friends and family. No one could have predicted what happened next. It went viral, sparking the creation of thousands of local Indivisible groups in red, blue, and purple states, mobilizing millions of people and evolving into a defining movement of the Trump Era. From crowding town halls to killing TrumpCare to rallying around candidates to build the Blue Wave, Indivisibles powered the fight against Trump—and pushed the limits of what was politically possible.
In We Are Indivisible: A Blueprint for Democracy After Trump, the (still-married!) co-executive directors of Indivisible tell the story of the movement. They offer a behind-the-scenes look at how change comes to Washington, whether Washington wants it or not. And they explain how we’ll win the coming fight for the future of American democracy. We Are Indivisible isn’t a book of platitudes about hope; it’s a steely-eyed guide to people power—how to find it, how to build it, and how to use it to usher in the post-Trump era.
347 pages, Hardcover
First published November 5, 2019
127 people are currently reading
712 people want to read
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August 5, 2025
I am so glad there are so many politically engaged humans out there, not just voicing their opinions, but actually trying to do something. And do something the indivisible movement has done, and it was a treat to witness it through this account. It also explains why it works and how to apply pressure on issues you are concerned about.
December 16, 2019
If you're a Trump supporter, you should stop reading this review right now. It will only make you angry. If you are like me and feel that our democracy is at stake in the 2020 election, you should definitely read this book. If you don't love Trump but don't feel that there's really THAT much at stake in next year's election, you should DEFINITELY read this book; it will change your mind.
Greenberg and Levin are the founders of the Indivisible movement that was so instrumental in defeating the repeal of Obamacare and in the Blue Wave of 2018. They present a succinct, and in my opinion very accurate, analysis of our current political situation. Very depressing. I found that I had to read the book in the afternoons rather than at bedtime or I got so upset that I couldn't sleep.
But then they write about the movement that grew out of the despair of 11/8/2016, and the small and large victories of the past three years. They mention Conor Lamb's victory in PA district 18, which pleased me very much since my husband and I were active in that campaign!
And they offer a blueprint for saving democracy post-Trump. Some of their ideas are controversial, but all are do-able without a constitutional amendment and most are worth at least considering - since the political dysfunction that gave us the disaster of 11/8/2016 isn't going to improve without some creative action.
Like my reviews? Check out my blog at http://www.kathrynbashaar.com/blog/
Author of The Saint's Mistress: https://www.bing.com/search?q=amazon....
Greenberg and Levin are the founders of the Indivisible movement that was so instrumental in defeating the repeal of Obamacare and in the Blue Wave of 2018. They present a succinct, and in my opinion very accurate, analysis of our current political situation. Very depressing. I found that I had to read the book in the afternoons rather than at bedtime or I got so upset that I couldn't sleep.
But then they write about the movement that grew out of the despair of 11/8/2016, and the small and large victories of the past three years. They mention Conor Lamb's victory in PA district 18, which pleased me very much since my husband and I were active in that campaign!
And they offer a blueprint for saving democracy post-Trump. Some of their ideas are controversial, but all are do-able without a constitutional amendment and most are worth at least considering - since the political dysfunction that gave us the disaster of 11/8/2016 isn't going to improve without some creative action.
Like my reviews? Check out my blog at http://www.kathrynbashaar.com/blog/
Author of The Saint's Mistress: https://www.bing.com/search?q=amazon....
September 6, 2019
I had never realized that if you want a democracy, you have to fight for it. Ogie Strogatz – California Indivisible Leader.
This is such an important quote for every US voter to remember and a truth that is becoming increasingly clear!
I am going to attempt to keep politics out of my review of this terrific political book.
First, I am really glad I read it to learn about the Indivisible movement because frankly, I think Indivisible has been essentially, well, invisible. At least to me.
Unlike their political opposite predecessor, the Tea Party, I have not seen this grass roots effort get much press*. They are covered on MSNBC (apparently) but, I can’t recall a single story or mention in any national or local network news story or major newspaper. And I index pretty high on watching and reading the news. When the Tea Party was active, they seemed to make the news every day, just like the shorter lived Occupy Wallstreet movement.
Perhaps that is one of the purposes of the book, to become more widely known.
I found Indivisible to be a well written, interesting, accessible and fast read of very current affairs and the immediate future too. In fact, it was so interesting and engaging that I finished it in a single transcon flight – that’s rare for me and well deserving of 5 stars on that aspect alone.
Make no mistake, it is heavily left leaning and there are more than a few positions that I do not really agree with, however, the book makes many insightful observations and made me think deeper on a number critical of topics. Those topics included “allies” and “privilege” and the points made by Greenberg and Levin are accurate, thoughtful, and inspiring. And the underlying premise of the book is democracy is under threat not simply by the current administration, but the two party system and a number of other factors as well.
The book includes 19 “Practical Invisible Lessons” that are a very good introduction to politics and how things work. My favorite one, and one that I hope everyone can rally behind was the final “lesson” #19: “Vote your heart in the primaries and vote your head in the general election.” Sorry, I’m going to get a bit political here but I sure hope that the Democrats, Independents, rational Republicans and yes, Indivisibles will all fall in line with this principle.
The book concludes with some interesting and perhaps radical ideas to “fix” our democracy. I will enjoy talking to my more politically astute friends on both the wisdom as well as feasibility of these ideas. The authors make a clear case on why and how these changes should and could be made. Regardless, while some concepts make a lot of sense others seem like they could and should be solved via different means.
Overall this is an excellent book with a mix of history, current affairs, conviction and thought provoking ideas. I will be recommending it to a number of friends and highly recommend to anyone interested in politics and especially the future of our democracy.
Finally, thanks to One Signal / Atria and Simon and Schuster for the advance reading copy of this fascinating book.
*** When writing this review, I Googled Indivisible News and received a handful of articles from obscure small political sites, a couple local newspaper articles and only one story from a reasonable size outlet – The New Republic. Googling The Tea Party News displayed articles and mentions from a wide spectrum of major outlets from Fox News to The New Your Times, Washington Post and more. Indivisible has some ground to make up.
This is such an important quote for every US voter to remember and a truth that is becoming increasingly clear!
I am going to attempt to keep politics out of my review of this terrific political book.
First, I am really glad I read it to learn about the Indivisible movement because frankly, I think Indivisible has been essentially, well, invisible. At least to me.
Unlike their political opposite predecessor, the Tea Party, I have not seen this grass roots effort get much press*. They are covered on MSNBC (apparently) but, I can’t recall a single story or mention in any national or local network news story or major newspaper. And I index pretty high on watching and reading the news. When the Tea Party was active, they seemed to make the news every day, just like the shorter lived Occupy Wallstreet movement.
Perhaps that is one of the purposes of the book, to become more widely known.
I found Indivisible to be a well written, interesting, accessible and fast read of very current affairs and the immediate future too. In fact, it was so interesting and engaging that I finished it in a single transcon flight – that’s rare for me and well deserving of 5 stars on that aspect alone.
Make no mistake, it is heavily left leaning and there are more than a few positions that I do not really agree with, however, the book makes many insightful observations and made me think deeper on a number critical of topics. Those topics included “allies” and “privilege” and the points made by Greenberg and Levin are accurate, thoughtful, and inspiring. And the underlying premise of the book is democracy is under threat not simply by the current administration, but the two party system and a number of other factors as well.
The book includes 19 “Practical Invisible Lessons” that are a very good introduction to politics and how things work. My favorite one, and one that I hope everyone can rally behind was the final “lesson” #19: “Vote your heart in the primaries and vote your head in the general election.” Sorry, I’m going to get a bit political here but I sure hope that the Democrats, Independents, rational Republicans and yes, Indivisibles will all fall in line with this principle.
The book concludes with some interesting and perhaps radical ideas to “fix” our democracy. I will enjoy talking to my more politically astute friends on both the wisdom as well as feasibility of these ideas. The authors make a clear case on why and how these changes should and could be made. Regardless, while some concepts make a lot of sense others seem like they could and should be solved via different means.
Overall this is an excellent book with a mix of history, current affairs, conviction and thought provoking ideas. I will be recommending it to a number of friends and highly recommend to anyone interested in politics and especially the future of our democracy.
Finally, thanks to One Signal / Atria and Simon and Schuster for the advance reading copy of this fascinating book.
*** When writing this review, I Googled Indivisible News and received a handful of articles from obscure small political sites, a couple local newspaper articles and only one story from a reasonable size outlet – The New Republic. Googling The Tea Party News displayed articles and mentions from a wide spectrum of major outlets from Fox News to The New Your Times, Washington Post and more. Indivisible has some ground to make up.
September 6, 2019
Such an important book from total badass leaders of the progressive movement.
May 23, 2020
Originally published on my book blog, TheBibliophage.com.
We are Indivisible: A Blueprint for Democracy After Trump is all politics. Authors Leah Greenberg and Ezra Levin started a grassroots movement in the wake of the 2016 election results. In this book, they explain what led to those results, and what the potential repercussions are. More importantly, they lay out a six-point agenda to help restore democracy. As they say, “small d” democracy.
The book balances idealism and practical strategies, including examples of how Indivisible groups around the country started holding their elected officials accountable. Reading it, I felt inspired again to get involved. And that’s Greenberg and Levin’s point, I think. First they want to document what’s been successful in the past 3 ½ years, and historically before that. Second, they want people to reach out and do more as we approach the 2020 election and its results.
My conclusions
Their agenda is ambitious, and the authors know it. Indivisible can’t be accused of playing small. The items on their list start by eliminating the fillibuster. Then they move on to democratizing both House and Senate. And more. Not playing small, right? But understand, this agenda isn’t the book’s opener. Greenberg and Levin offer plenty of explanatory lead-in information.
And none of it will happen if the White House, Senate, or House remain controlled but the GOP. So, my main takeaway from this book is to get involved in every race that affects me. House, Senate, and Presidential.
One major additional topic is voter suppression, and Indivisible groups already fight hard against this. Greenberg and Levin offer plenty of reasons why making sure everyone votes is a positive thing.
My final comment is that these authors mention many political and history books. I can’t find a list in the ARC I have, nor on their web site. It’s so substantive that I’m considering developing my own bibliography, even if no on sees it but me. I love when a book sends me to 10 more good books!
I recommend this book if the political process this year or any other year interests you. It’s highly informational and inspiring.
Pair with Hiding in Plain Sight by Sarah Kendzior, for more politics with a grassroots bent.
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria / One Signal Publishers, and the authors for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in exchange for this honest review.
We are Indivisible: A Blueprint for Democracy After Trump is all politics. Authors Leah Greenberg and Ezra Levin started a grassroots movement in the wake of the 2016 election results. In this book, they explain what led to those results, and what the potential repercussions are. More importantly, they lay out a six-point agenda to help restore democracy. As they say, “small d” democracy.
The book balances idealism and practical strategies, including examples of how Indivisible groups around the country started holding their elected officials accountable. Reading it, I felt inspired again to get involved. And that’s Greenberg and Levin’s point, I think. First they want to document what’s been successful in the past 3 ½ years, and historically before that. Second, they want people to reach out and do more as we approach the 2020 election and its results.
My conclusions
Their agenda is ambitious, and the authors know it. Indivisible can’t be accused of playing small. The items on their list start by eliminating the fillibuster. Then they move on to democratizing both House and Senate. And more. Not playing small, right? But understand, this agenda isn’t the book’s opener. Greenberg and Levin offer plenty of explanatory lead-in information.
And none of it will happen if the White House, Senate, or House remain controlled but the GOP. So, my main takeaway from this book is to get involved in every race that affects me. House, Senate, and Presidential.
One major additional topic is voter suppression, and Indivisible groups already fight hard against this. Greenberg and Levin offer plenty of reasons why making sure everyone votes is a positive thing.
My final comment is that these authors mention many political and history books. I can’t find a list in the ARC I have, nor on their web site. It’s so substantive that I’m considering developing my own bibliography, even if no on sees it but me. I love when a book sends me to 10 more good books!
I recommend this book if the political process this year or any other year interests you. It’s highly informational and inspiring.
Pair with Hiding in Plain Sight by Sarah Kendzior, for more politics with a grassroots bent.
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria / One Signal Publishers, and the authors for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in exchange for this honest review.
December 23, 2019
This book is neither this nor that. That is, one opens it hoping for a full-blooded account of the rise of Indivisible post 2016, but one quickly gets lost in a too-cute-by-half whitewashing of the messiness of trying to knit together a grassroots uprising with a top-down leadership. Leah Greenberg and Ezra Levin provided a vital and timely blueprint for millions of traumatized grassroots Democrats in the weeks after the 2016 US election, and can be justly credited with helping more than 6,000 local groups coalesce across the country. But once they decided to go back on their original instinct to not start an organization, they've gotten very good at diverting attention and resources upwards rather than really supporting the base where it's most needed help. You will not find that story here, though if you read between the lines you may get glimpses of how these self-appointed leaders have often misunderstood hardworking Indivisible leaders on the ground. As for the latter portion of the book, where Greenberg and Levin lay out a policy agenda for restoring American democracy, policy wonks may enjoy that part, but frankly one wonders whether we need more ten point policy agendas (and PR campaigns supporting book tours) rather than just more of the hard work filling in the deep gaps in grassroots organizing that national Democrats have dug in the last few decades.
November 23, 2019
Why. Quite inspirational by gum but also clear, coherent, bold. In just a few paragraphs of lucid prose, we can dismiss Trump as just a symbol of dysfunction and anti-democratic madness and get on to building what he and his ilk have broken, are breaking, and are trying to keep broken. And how! For anyone asking 'Ok, sure, but how??' you can probably lead them to any, any section of text here -- it's all quite masterfully built and effective and just-so perfectly appropriate (honestly!) and often, in the best way, inspirational -- but I'd especially point out page 16.
On that particular page is a quick, mega-bite-size, but wholly good history lesson and political primer and urge forward, in quite a concrete way overall. Founding Fathers gave us a wonderful system of democracy, but it's not fit for the chaos of today. We have ideologically polarized parties screaming at each other and playing constitutional hardball. Republicans dove deep into insane white nationalism, Christian fundamentalism, and corporatism, with democracy now gerrymandered, sabotaged, and rigged in their favor. To fix American democracy requires of course _more_ democracy; and that's all. Easy, right? Totally.
Also, in general, of course… $? Racism? Stupidity helped by religion? Stubbornness built off independent thickness? It's the unanswerable chaos of activist politics (and we even contend with what's hollowly trendy, vacantly chiming somewhere, just the sort of obnoxious and fluffy content I'll sometimes post on Facebook if you're friends with me on Facebook and you see my content sometimes), but from what I'm seeing here it's pretty surprisingly adroit and clever and muscular. I think We Are Indivisible almost always kills the bad and re-inforces the good.
If you have a politically progressive mind (and decent minds almost always are politically progressive, imho, almost all, like 100% of people I know but I don't know everyone so I reduce it to 99% just theoretically), you can of course just slump with a shrug into 'Democracy. It's broken in America, huh? Look at this mess' and begin to go deeper and deeper into a hollow list of grievances without solutions. Hey, I've done it too. It's sometimes easy. Sometimes even good, maybe? Satire of ResistanceHole, political pokes of Daily Show in its Jon Stewart years, etc., etc., I don't know…
But I don't think Levin or Greenberg ever really approach that careless, relatively empty posture, though it'd be so, so easy, I think, for them to fall that direction. They stay standing often enough, keeping their dukes up, skillfully, firmly, powerfully. Words carefully chosen and madly fussed over: I know nothing of those, but it's fun to admire some sometimes anyway.
Obviously, I cannot personally relate to much! I guess I've pledged more than the next guy to Indivisible-adjacent causes, but it's a few dollars, a few social media posts, a few scant appearances at events, etc. Ha! Politics. It is not much, never much. Of course! (Said with modesty but a secret hope that this'll all be world-changing, influential, whatnot. Of course) But I know a thing or two, I think, about trying to write influential nonfiction to skeptics within a near-dead industry (about which you're often skeptical in general), how-to of course but also tending to try to sort of subtly nudge them in a certain direction, etc. How's that? Well, I don't know. It's all mysterious and unknowable and none of it matters anyway.
Sure, problems with tone sometimes. Any stretch of text of any importance, especially nonfiction, will have those if it's worth its salt. I like some of the historical catch-ups (especially theorizing about American political dysfunction via Linz's ideas) and dislike some of them (especially accidentally finding out grassroots political organizing has somewhat a checkered history), but it mainly seems par for the course. I kind of wish kneejerk stuff like "Dumbledore's Army" were dismissed sooner (I think it severely weakens liberal ideas by making them weak, fun, a cheeky game, often enough), but at least it occurs at all.
Laugh all you want (it's healthy); we're never vain here! This thing's timely (how to situate ourselves against "Trump"? dead-on, by saying his name? Then, when he's out of office in prison or, in some sort of American Führerbunker, very extremely sadly passed away tragically, how will the book look? But it's never all about him, for sure) but timeless in general, like all the best political writing needs to be.
By carefully balancing ideals and praxis, Levin and Greenberg can pull together something cogent and vibrant and urgent. I don't know how they did it, to be quite frank. I would have just begun to rant again about a desperately unqualified racist idiot corrupt reality TV host, deep in some sleazy and evil mess, gold-lacquered sludge of treason and paper-pushing ditziness, bolstered by stupid South Park-adjacent curt and itchy meme humor and neo-Nazi cultist dummies, in the shallow Russia-backed KKK swamp of modern America; but luckily it isn't my book to write!
I also see Man in the High Castle whenever I'm alarmed, saddened, frustrated by another swing into fascism (or anything about fascism, really)… and I'll probably only descend into reviewing it inside reviews of other things. You know. Until there's a film of it. Or I read the original book, which I haven't because I don't really "read" a whole lot of texts. How America becomes Nazi, but there's a tiny resistance that can't ever be extinguished. Yeah, yeah, I know the premise, and its connection here is probably typical. It probably won't be the Reich or the Empire marching in but instead just some water wars sparked (unless we get some Green New Deal policies started very soon) or some eugenics inspired by Aktion T4 or something (I didn't think it'd get so personal so soon either, haha)…
Needless to say, we're lucky we still have some champions of democracy pushing back solidly against malevolent threats of stinginess, corruption, anti-life lying and evil and crispness. You don't owe Levin's and Greenberg's We Are Indivisible much, but you owe it a lot, you know.
On that particular page is a quick, mega-bite-size, but wholly good history lesson and political primer and urge forward, in quite a concrete way overall. Founding Fathers gave us a wonderful system of democracy, but it's not fit for the chaos of today. We have ideologically polarized parties screaming at each other and playing constitutional hardball. Republicans dove deep into insane white nationalism, Christian fundamentalism, and corporatism, with democracy now gerrymandered, sabotaged, and rigged in their favor. To fix American democracy requires of course _more_ democracy; and that's all. Easy, right? Totally.
Also, in general, of course… $? Racism? Stupidity helped by religion? Stubbornness built off independent thickness? It's the unanswerable chaos of activist politics (and we even contend with what's hollowly trendy, vacantly chiming somewhere, just the sort of obnoxious and fluffy content I'll sometimes post on Facebook if you're friends with me on Facebook and you see my content sometimes), but from what I'm seeing here it's pretty surprisingly adroit and clever and muscular. I think We Are Indivisible almost always kills the bad and re-inforces the good.
If you have a politically progressive mind (and decent minds almost always are politically progressive, imho, almost all, like 100% of people I know but I don't know everyone so I reduce it to 99% just theoretically), you can of course just slump with a shrug into 'Democracy. It's broken in America, huh? Look at this mess' and begin to go deeper and deeper into a hollow list of grievances without solutions. Hey, I've done it too. It's sometimes easy. Sometimes even good, maybe? Satire of ResistanceHole, political pokes of Daily Show in its Jon Stewart years, etc., etc., I don't know…
But I don't think Levin or Greenberg ever really approach that careless, relatively empty posture, though it'd be so, so easy, I think, for them to fall that direction. They stay standing often enough, keeping their dukes up, skillfully, firmly, powerfully. Words carefully chosen and madly fussed over: I know nothing of those, but it's fun to admire some sometimes anyway.
Obviously, I cannot personally relate to much! I guess I've pledged more than the next guy to Indivisible-adjacent causes, but it's a few dollars, a few social media posts, a few scant appearances at events, etc. Ha! Politics. It is not much, never much. Of course! (Said with modesty but a secret hope that this'll all be world-changing, influential, whatnot. Of course) But I know a thing or two, I think, about trying to write influential nonfiction to skeptics within a near-dead industry (about which you're often skeptical in general), how-to of course but also tending to try to sort of subtly nudge them in a certain direction, etc. How's that? Well, I don't know. It's all mysterious and unknowable and none of it matters anyway.
Sure, problems with tone sometimes. Any stretch of text of any importance, especially nonfiction, will have those if it's worth its salt. I like some of the historical catch-ups (especially theorizing about American political dysfunction via Linz's ideas) and dislike some of them (especially accidentally finding out grassroots political organizing has somewhat a checkered history), but it mainly seems par for the course. I kind of wish kneejerk stuff like "Dumbledore's Army" were dismissed sooner (I think it severely weakens liberal ideas by making them weak, fun, a cheeky game, often enough), but at least it occurs at all.
Laugh all you want (it's healthy); we're never vain here! This thing's timely (how to situate ourselves against "Trump"? dead-on, by saying his name? Then, when he's out of office in prison or, in some sort of American Führerbunker, very extremely sadly passed away tragically, how will the book look? But it's never all about him, for sure) but timeless in general, like all the best political writing needs to be.
By carefully balancing ideals and praxis, Levin and Greenberg can pull together something cogent and vibrant and urgent. I don't know how they did it, to be quite frank. I would have just begun to rant again about a desperately unqualified racist idiot corrupt reality TV host, deep in some sleazy and evil mess, gold-lacquered sludge of treason and paper-pushing ditziness, bolstered by stupid South Park-adjacent curt and itchy meme humor and neo-Nazi cultist dummies, in the shallow Russia-backed KKK swamp of modern America; but luckily it isn't my book to write!
I also see Man in the High Castle whenever I'm alarmed, saddened, frustrated by another swing into fascism (or anything about fascism, really)… and I'll probably only descend into reviewing it inside reviews of other things. You know. Until there's a film of it. Or I read the original book, which I haven't because I don't really "read" a whole lot of texts. How America becomes Nazi, but there's a tiny resistance that can't ever be extinguished. Yeah, yeah, I know the premise, and its connection here is probably typical. It probably won't be the Reich or the Empire marching in but instead just some water wars sparked (unless we get some Green New Deal policies started very soon) or some eugenics inspired by Aktion T4 or something (I didn't think it'd get so personal so soon either, haha)…
Needless to say, we're lucky we still have some champions of democracy pushing back solidly against malevolent threats of stinginess, corruption, anti-life lying and evil and crispness. You don't owe Levin's and Greenberg's We Are Indivisible much, but you owe it a lot, you know.
November 13, 2019
Democracy is what Greenberg wants and not what "they" vote. So here's how "we" take "their" vote.
January 16, 2020
This book is a practical, well researched, no-nonsense presentation of the problem, the solutions, and powerful answers to the naysayers. Here you will find the essential way forward to addressing the observations and implementing the theories of all the progressive economists, historians, and other scholars you may have been reading. This is how we get there from here. If your life is TL;DR, go straight to Chapter 6, A Day One Democracy Agenda, and proceed from there. But the first half of the book describes the arc of history so clearly and succinctly that it's well worth the read, and it provides much more of value for action today and tomorrow than just background.
If you've been paying attention, perhaps belatedly, you know it's taken multiple decades and multiple millions in dark money to create the mess we're in. But even in this late stage of oligarchic capture of the Republican Party, the final brick is not yet set in what I see as a political version of "The Cask of Amontillado." The nationalist cultural xenophobes, and religious extremists who haven't realized just yet that they've actually lost their faith, are more unwitting accomplices in their own demise than they are partners with the oligarchs.
Of all the horrifying things Trump is, he did not create his supporters—he tapped into their frustrations, which already existed. And frankly the Democrats themselves helped create Trump supporters (see Thomas Frank's book: Listen, Liberal: Or, What Ever Happened to the Party of the People?). After Trump, whether sooner (we certainly hope!) or later, his supporters will still be there—unreformed, unless they receive additional information not skewed by Fox and Sinclair, and websites such as the Daily Caller, Washington Examiner, American Spectator, and RedState, as well as reactionary think tanks, of which the Heritage Foundation is only one. The packed courts will still be there. The regressive legislation and regulations (or lack thereof) will still be there. All of it needing urgent correction.
The Indivisible Blueprint presents a viable plan of action to end the oligarchy's hegemony. It properly emphasizes that this movement is not an arm of the Democratic Party—many Democrats also are far too beholden to deep pocketed donors, and even though some of them talk a good line, in the end they too sell out to big money.
The authors present practical solutions to what may seem to be insurmountable problems. They offer ways to solve issues with the Electoral College, the inherent inequality of Senate representation, creating a truly representative House of Representatives, depoliticizing the courts, freeing social media from capture by forces hostile to democracy, and balancing the overwhelmingly disproportionate influence of right wing media—all without the need for any Constitutional amendments. There is a place for all progressives and other persons of good will in this effort. We can make this happen—we must!
If you've been paying attention, perhaps belatedly, you know it's taken multiple decades and multiple millions in dark money to create the mess we're in. But even in this late stage of oligarchic capture of the Republican Party, the final brick is not yet set in what I see as a political version of "The Cask of Amontillado." The nationalist cultural xenophobes, and religious extremists who haven't realized just yet that they've actually lost their faith, are more unwitting accomplices in their own demise than they are partners with the oligarchs.
Of all the horrifying things Trump is, he did not create his supporters—he tapped into their frustrations, which already existed. And frankly the Democrats themselves helped create Trump supporters (see Thomas Frank's book: Listen, Liberal: Or, What Ever Happened to the Party of the People?). After Trump, whether sooner (we certainly hope!) or later, his supporters will still be there—unreformed, unless they receive additional information not skewed by Fox and Sinclair, and websites such as the Daily Caller, Washington Examiner, American Spectator, and RedState, as well as reactionary think tanks, of which the Heritage Foundation is only one. The packed courts will still be there. The regressive legislation and regulations (or lack thereof) will still be there. All of it needing urgent correction.
The Indivisible Blueprint presents a viable plan of action to end the oligarchy's hegemony. It properly emphasizes that this movement is not an arm of the Democratic Party—many Democrats also are far too beholden to deep pocketed donors, and even though some of them talk a good line, in the end they too sell out to big money.
The authors present practical solutions to what may seem to be insurmountable problems. They offer ways to solve issues with the Electoral College, the inherent inequality of Senate representation, creating a truly representative House of Representatives, depoliticizing the courts, freeing social media from capture by forces hostile to democracy, and balancing the overwhelmingly disproportionate influence of right wing media—all without the need for any Constitutional amendments. There is a place for all progressives and other persons of good will in this effort. We can make this happen—we must!
February 18, 2020
This is a very important book. Written by the two young co-founders of the Indivisible Movement it is part memoir, part 'how to' and part 'call to arms.' Leah and Ezra are not only brilliant political strategists, they are also pretty darned good writers. A compelling book --- and a scary book. We either get this next election right or we may be doomed.
Highly recommended!
Highly recommended!
Read
December 7, 2025This book was published soon after 47 was elected the first time. Reading it in 2025, it seems a bit anticlimactic, since 47 is back in office.
I skimmed We Are Indivisible. I didn't read every word. Much of it covers familiar territory for those who have been paying attention and following Indivisible. In general, too many people don't care about politics, too many are enamored by the most outrageous claims, and too many are still not voting.
So far resistance hasn't gotten us very far. But we'll keep at it.
I skimmed We Are Indivisible. I didn't read every word. Much of it covers familiar territory for those who have been paying attention and following Indivisible. In general, too many people don't care about politics, too many are enamored by the most outrageous claims, and too many are still not voting.
So far resistance hasn't gotten us very far. But we'll keep at it.
April 13, 2020
Great motivation for organizing, along with tactics and a theory of activism that actually works. Highly recommend for anyone who's disappointed with the current direction of the United States. It's a great way to get introduced to the world of changing that.
March 25, 2021
So much work to do. Even with the blueprint laid out here it is a daunting task.
December 11, 2024
Still relevant today
December 16, 2019
This is not a great book, but it's an essential one. That is, it could certainly have used a more assertive editor, one who would have red-lined three-quarters of the footnotes and cheeky personal asides. These personal elements leave an annoying gee-whiz, just-us-kids-having-fun aftertaste, inconsistent with the deadly serious purpose of We Are Indivisible—you know, the survival of law, justice, and decency. Just because the authors are married doesn't mean that I want to know, for example, courtesy of Leah Greenberg, that Ezra Levin sweats a lot. Some of the personal details—the mess in their living room, or the cheap cramped attic office with no air-conditioning—are meant to underscore the grass-roots origins of the Indivisible movement. Fair enough. But enough!
That peeve aside, We Are Indivisible concisely outlines not only how we got to this state, with our democracy disintegrating before our eyes, but also how we can restore it once we've defeated Trump and pried loose the Republican stranglehold on the Senate. The subtitle says it all: A Blueprint for Democracy After Trump. Implicit is the apocalyptically scary possibility that progressives will not gain power in 2021.
As is often said, Trump is a symptom and apotheosis of an antidemocratic movement that has been building for decades. The far-right has brilliantly succeeded in a long-term and, until recently, a nearly invisible power grab. They’ve devised a formidable strategy of strong interlocking components, including gerrymandering, voter suppression, control over state legislatures and judicial appointments, myths of Democratic voter fraud, the cultivation of latent racial resentment, a stoked skepticism of government, and opposition to campaign finance reform. And, of course, there’s the jewel in their crown, the creation of a completely self-contained media and propaganda universe that keeps nearly half the country profoundly misinformed and inflamed with anti-progressive hatred. And finally, they’ve resisted any reforms to the already very conservative elements in our Constitution, like the Electoral College and the very structure of the Senate.
Turning all this around in favor of more fundamental democracy will not be easy, and that’s putting it mildly. But the blueprint in this book is extremely valuable because it realistically sketches all the components of an effective reform agenda, pointing out to Indivisible members and all progressive citizens the places where dedicated activism is necessary. There are 6 big elements in this agenda, and though they seem all but impossible, the truth is that they could all be done via simple legislation. (Though, far from simple!) The authors know that any Constitutional amendment in this environment is a pipe dream.
The elements are:
1. Eliminate the filibuster to break the gridlock.
2. Democratize the Senate by admitting more states.
3. Democratize the House of Representatives by expanding its size and instituting proportional representation and ranked-choice voting.
4. Democratize the federal judiciary by expanding its size (including SCOTUS), establishing term limits, and creating a more automatic, nonpartisan process for appointments.
5. Democratize voting by extending the franchise to 16-year-olds, felons, and green-card holders (resident non-citizens), and establishing automatic registration, a national Election Day holiday, and other reforms that make voting easier and more secure.
6. Democratize the media by breaking up huge conglomerates, ensuring net neutrality, and investing in public media and robust, independent, non-market-driven journalism.
(If they had asked me, I would have added 2 more of my own:
7. Democratize public education through national rather than local funding and control, uniform national standards and resources, and substantial increases in investment for excellence and achievement.
8. Democratize work by rebuilding and strengthening labor unions, including unions for most white-collar office workers.)
That’s a lot. This list makes me want to retire to an isolated mountain hut. But the alternative, conservative control of government, is very unappealing: “Reactionaries will steadily consolidate their political advantages, using their power to gerrymander districts, further destroy unions, suppress voters, and pack the courts. Our societal problems—climate change, inequality, health care, and more—will get catastrophically worse, while government does nothing.”
This book tells us how and why we need to get to work.
That peeve aside, We Are Indivisible concisely outlines not only how we got to this state, with our democracy disintegrating before our eyes, but also how we can restore it once we've defeated Trump and pried loose the Republican stranglehold on the Senate. The subtitle says it all: A Blueprint for Democracy After Trump. Implicit is the apocalyptically scary possibility that progressives will not gain power in 2021.
As is often said, Trump is a symptom and apotheosis of an antidemocratic movement that has been building for decades. The far-right has brilliantly succeeded in a long-term and, until recently, a nearly invisible power grab. They’ve devised a formidable strategy of strong interlocking components, including gerrymandering, voter suppression, control over state legislatures and judicial appointments, myths of Democratic voter fraud, the cultivation of latent racial resentment, a stoked skepticism of government, and opposition to campaign finance reform. And, of course, there’s the jewel in their crown, the creation of a completely self-contained media and propaganda universe that keeps nearly half the country profoundly misinformed and inflamed with anti-progressive hatred. And finally, they’ve resisted any reforms to the already very conservative elements in our Constitution, like the Electoral College and the very structure of the Senate.
Turning all this around in favor of more fundamental democracy will not be easy, and that’s putting it mildly. But the blueprint in this book is extremely valuable because it realistically sketches all the components of an effective reform agenda, pointing out to Indivisible members and all progressive citizens the places where dedicated activism is necessary. There are 6 big elements in this agenda, and though they seem all but impossible, the truth is that they could all be done via simple legislation. (Though, far from simple!) The authors know that any Constitutional amendment in this environment is a pipe dream.
The elements are:
1. Eliminate the filibuster to break the gridlock.
2. Democratize the Senate by admitting more states.
3. Democratize the House of Representatives by expanding its size and instituting proportional representation and ranked-choice voting.
4. Democratize the federal judiciary by expanding its size (including SCOTUS), establishing term limits, and creating a more automatic, nonpartisan process for appointments.
5. Democratize voting by extending the franchise to 16-year-olds, felons, and green-card holders (resident non-citizens), and establishing automatic registration, a national Election Day holiday, and other reforms that make voting easier and more secure.
6. Democratize the media by breaking up huge conglomerates, ensuring net neutrality, and investing in public media and robust, independent, non-market-driven journalism.
(If they had asked me, I would have added 2 more of my own:
7. Democratize public education through national rather than local funding and control, uniform national standards and resources, and substantial increases in investment for excellence and achievement.
8. Democratize work by rebuilding and strengthening labor unions, including unions for most white-collar office workers.)
That’s a lot. This list makes me want to retire to an isolated mountain hut. But the alternative, conservative control of government, is very unappealing: “Reactionaries will steadily consolidate their political advantages, using their power to gerrymander districts, further destroy unions, suppress voters, and pack the courts. Our societal problems—climate change, inequality, health care, and more—will get catastrophically worse, while government does nothing.”
This book tells us how and why we need to get to work.
February 20, 2020
Despite glowing reviews
...this book did not have the depth I hoped for.
Ex Capitol Hill staffers, grad students and activists
just cannot compete with the stellar writing of
Carol Leonnig And Philip Rucker in A Very Stable Genius: Donald J. Trump's Testing of America
...this book did not have the depth I hoped for.
Ex Capitol Hill staffers, grad students and activists
just cannot compete with the stellar writing of
Carol Leonnig And Philip Rucker in A Very Stable Genius: Donald J. Trump's Testing of America
September 30, 2021
A good idea done badly.
The book had potential to be 5 stars but was spoiled with too many problems.
The book should have just showed how to get individuals to push their ideas on government crats like the Tea Party had done.
But instead we got a screed that reeked of Trump Derangement Syndrome mixed throughout the left wing lies.
Logical fallacies abound when they got anywhere near the truth.
They pretended to be neutral and not support any party but that was shown to be nonsense by all their support for the libtard lies and talking points they kept parroting.
They are confused about the USA as we are a REPUBLIC not a democracy. Their goal is to some how make us more democratic by undoing the wisdom of the founders who wrote the constitution so that all states were equal no matter what size they were. But they don't like the way it keeps them from becoming dictators as fast as they would like.
The USA will have to split up into two countries to coexist withthem and their nutball ideas. With people like this on the loonie left pushing destructive ideas we will likely have to have a civil war first and then end up with two countries. If only we had a way to separate peacefully but any attempts at that would have to trigger a civil war.
They are very confused about voting as they think that rank choice voting is good.
Of course they do, as it keeps giving another vote to anyone who picks the worst candidates but had no support to help them win.
FAR BETTER is APPROVAL VOTING where you can vote for every candidate that you could accept and not vote for any that you could not live with. Then the candidate with the most votes had the greatest approval and should be the winner.
The book was poorly made as pages fell out.
The book was full of exaggerations and unproven assertions as well as left wing lies and propaganda. It was a blatant attempt at repeating the big lie enough to make people assume that it must be true.
This was a good magazine article blown up into a book by using liberal doses of TDS and left wing talking points that were irrelevant to the key reason for the book.
There were provable lies about Trump. And the book was also full of logical fallacies. Clearly it was written by arrogant libtards with a seriously bad case of Dunning-Kruger syndrome. They overrate themselves and underestimate RINOs and neocons who have sabotaged the GrumpyOldPervert party.
Their attempts at rewriting history may get by the so called progressives and those who are waay farther left past marx-lenin-stalin style communism but will not fool people who actually look at facts and think logically.
There was one SPAG error and some places with oddball page layout giving a WTF type moment to the reader.
The book had potential to be 5 stars but was spoiled with too many problems.
The book should have just showed how to get individuals to push their ideas on government crats like the Tea Party had done.
But instead we got a screed that reeked of Trump Derangement Syndrome mixed throughout the left wing lies.
Logical fallacies abound when they got anywhere near the truth.
They pretended to be neutral and not support any party but that was shown to be nonsense by all their support for the libtard lies and talking points they kept parroting.
They are confused about the USA as we are a REPUBLIC not a democracy. Their goal is to some how make us more democratic by undoing the wisdom of the founders who wrote the constitution so that all states were equal no matter what size they were. But they don't like the way it keeps them from becoming dictators as fast as they would like.
The USA will have to split up into two countries to coexist withthem and their nutball ideas. With people like this on the loonie left pushing destructive ideas we will likely have to have a civil war first and then end up with two countries. If only we had a way to separate peacefully but any attempts at that would have to trigger a civil war.
They are very confused about voting as they think that rank choice voting is good.
Of course they do, as it keeps giving another vote to anyone who picks the worst candidates but had no support to help them win.
FAR BETTER is APPROVAL VOTING where you can vote for every candidate that you could accept and not vote for any that you could not live with. Then the candidate with the most votes had the greatest approval and should be the winner.
The book was poorly made as pages fell out.
The book was full of exaggerations and unproven assertions as well as left wing lies and propaganda. It was a blatant attempt at repeating the big lie enough to make people assume that it must be true.
This was a good magazine article blown up into a book by using liberal doses of TDS and left wing talking points that were irrelevant to the key reason for the book.
There were provable lies about Trump. And the book was also full of logical fallacies. Clearly it was written by arrogant libtards with a seriously bad case of Dunning-Kruger syndrome. They overrate themselves and underestimate RINOs and neocons who have sabotaged the GrumpyOldPervert party.
Their attempts at rewriting history may get by the so called progressives and those who are waay farther left past marx-lenin-stalin style communism but will not fool people who actually look at facts and think logically.
There was one SPAG error and some places with oddball page layout giving a WTF type moment to the reader.
January 25, 2020
I walked away from this book with ...... quite honestly, some hope, which was surprising to me. For starters, the authors make the point early and often that Trump is simply a symptom of the dysfunction that has long gripped our politics (and is getting worse). It's important to remember that even if he wins the next election (gulp!) the fight for democratic reform and a more progressive agenda must continue, and in fact becomes even more important. That's why Indivisible as an organization is about organizing and advocacy for policies, rather than for pushing particular candidates, although obviously it is much more aligned with Democrats, and especially the more progressive parts of the party. I found this book to be well-written, and it offers a very pragmatic description of how Indivisible got started, evolved, and is currently operating, as well as many practical suggestions and examples for how grassroots organizing can help advance progressive policies. The last 1/3 of the book identifies a number of policy initiatives to pursue, like how to rebalance Congress (11% of the population is represented by 42 Senators) to make it more responsive, widening the voting population to make it more diverse, a reasonable immigration policy that resolves the undocumented immigrant and DACA issues, lessening the power of mega-corporations, supporting a more diverse media environment, etc. I hate to divide my recommendation along political lines, but let's face it, there are some pretty profound divisions that we're looking at. So, for the 1/3 of people who are Trumpers, this book is definitely not for you (unless you can stand to get pretty far outside your comfort zone). For the 1/3 of people that are "independent" or undecided, then this book might be helpful. And for the 1/3 of people that are both Democrats and democratic, then this is definitely a book you should read.
January 5, 2020
This book finally and thoroughly got it through my head that DT is not the problem. He is only the latest symptom of an advanced state of democratic breakdown.
Just to take the first of six big (yet specific) things, the Senate filibuster rule means that senators representing just 11% of the population can effectively block any legislation. The rule says that 60% is required to end debate: so if you're in the minority you only need 41 votes to block anything. In theory, the lowest population states (basically all rural / white / "conservative") comprising 11% of the population can block anything: tyranny of the minority. So: Congress should pass a law eliminating that rule. No Constitutional amendment needed.
The book is an action blueprint written by self-described "accidental activists". They are really inspiring, and they really get the point across: just showing up to vote isn't really enough anymore. (Actually, it never was: there used to be local chapter-based organizations who helped get stuff done. Apparently LBJ wrote a personal thank-you to the president of the a national organization called the Eagles. Internet helped kill all that because any organization can just recruit membership directly.)
The authors wish the readers to remember: November 2020 is an important milestone, but it isn't the end nor even the beginning. "The whole point of gaining power is not to have it, but to spend it: spend it on advancing a progressive agenda that challenges government to do better."
Just to take the first of six big (yet specific) things, the Senate filibuster rule means that senators representing just 11% of the population can effectively block any legislation. The rule says that 60% is required to end debate: so if you're in the minority you only need 41 votes to block anything. In theory, the lowest population states (basically all rural / white / "conservative") comprising 11% of the population can block anything: tyranny of the minority. So: Congress should pass a law eliminating that rule. No Constitutional amendment needed.
The book is an action blueprint written by self-described "accidental activists". They are really inspiring, and they really get the point across: just showing up to vote isn't really enough anymore. (Actually, it never was: there used to be local chapter-based organizations who helped get stuff done. Apparently LBJ wrote a personal thank-you to the president of the a national organization called the Eagles. Internet helped kill all that because any organization can just recruit membership directly.)
The authors wish the readers to remember: November 2020 is an important milestone, but it isn't the end nor even the beginning. "The whole point of gaining power is not to have it, but to spend it: spend it on advancing a progressive agenda that challenges government to do better."
January 12, 2020
This is an extraordinarily efficient book in terms of information content: in a mere 300 pages, it manages to provide a brief history of the Indivisible movement, a primer on the Indivisible theory of political power and change, a synopsis of the breakdown of American democracy in the late 20th and 21st century, and recommendations for legislative repairs and improvements to American democracy that would be within reach for a progressive Congress and president-- should the 2020 elections produce such an outcome. The book does not explore the factors that would make such an electoral outcome more likely, but given what it already manages to accomplish in so few pages, it's fair that the authors left this topic to others.
My only gripe is that despite leaving their own names off of the cover in the spirit of Indivisible being a grassroots movement rather than a top-down organization, the authors frequently interrupt themselves in the text via jokey asides and autobiographical intrusions that felt like distractions. I don't begrudge the authors the desire to tell their personal story-- indeed, what they managed to achieve in creating Indivisible is astonishing and inspiring-- but that seems like the stuff of a separate book from this "blueprint for democracy after Trump" (as the subtitle puts it).
However, for a book that cover so many important topics with such economy of page count, that reads so quickly, and that serves such a critical civic educational purpose, this minor authorial sin is forgivable.
My only gripe is that despite leaving their own names off of the cover in the spirit of Indivisible being a grassroots movement rather than a top-down organization, the authors frequently interrupt themselves in the text via jokey asides and autobiographical intrusions that felt like distractions. I don't begrudge the authors the desire to tell their personal story-- indeed, what they managed to achieve in creating Indivisible is astonishing and inspiring-- but that seems like the stuff of a separate book from this "blueprint for democracy after Trump" (as the subtitle puts it).
However, for a book that cover so many important topics with such economy of page count, that reads so quickly, and that serves such a critical civic educational purpose, this minor authorial sin is forgivable.
February 21, 2020
I really like reading We Are Indivisible and not just because it served as a reminder of all of the regular people than came together because of Trump's policies. This book does show how two married people were able to put together a foundation that grew based on what ordinary democrats wanted and needed. It explain the early stages of the "Indivisible" movement both for the two of them and how it spread across the U.S. It led many people to become involved in politics often for the first time.
What I like more than that was the clear explanation of how our country got this way. The book explains the history of the two party system and the electoral college. It talks about how the system in the U.S. is out of balance. That our three-pronged government is teetering. This book is definitely geared toward more moderate or liberal minded people. Still it shows that having all or most power for any one party is not good for any of this.
I would recommend this book for people that want to remember what the struggles of the last 3 years have been like from a political standpoint. I'd also suggest that it be read to provide a more clear history. Lastly, it has valid suggestions on helping us to move forward in a way that is more healthy for this country. Although many do not approve of what Trump stands for or what he has done, he alone is not the problem. We need to look at politics with a bigger brush.
What I like more than that was the clear explanation of how our country got this way. The book explains the history of the two party system and the electoral college. It talks about how the system in the U.S. is out of balance. That our three-pronged government is teetering. This book is definitely geared toward more moderate or liberal minded people. Still it shows that having all or most power for any one party is not good for any of this.
I would recommend this book for people that want to remember what the struggles of the last 3 years have been like from a political standpoint. I'd also suggest that it be read to provide a more clear history. Lastly, it has valid suggestions on helping us to move forward in a way that is more healthy for this country. Although many do not approve of what Trump stands for or what he has done, he alone is not the problem. We need to look at politics with a bigger brush.
February 2, 2020
The best part of the book is the introduction, which informed me of the amazing 1990 paper "The Perils of Presidentialism". A horrifyingly prophetic work. Essentially, presidential democracies are historically less stable than parliamentary democracies, and tend to lead to obstructionism and outsider demagogue presidents. The one major exception is the United States, which avoids this by having weird parties that aren't ideologically coherent. If people ever get correctly sorted by their policy preferences into these parties, they'll have the same problems as the other presidential democracies. Well shit.
The rest of Indivisible is fine I guess. I was disappointed by how fundamentally obstructionist their Tea-Party-inspired playbook is. I'm already a proponent of their list of electoral reforms a hypothetical 2021 Democratic majority could pass: end the filibuster, DC statehood, more House seats, ranked-choice voting, and multi-member districts. I leave swapping our constitution for a new parliamentary one as an exercise for the reader.
For a better summary (of the 1990 paper): https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016...
The rest of Indivisible is fine I guess. I was disappointed by how fundamentally obstructionist their Tea-Party-inspired playbook is. I'm already a proponent of their list of electoral reforms a hypothetical 2021 Democratic majority could pass: end the filibuster, DC statehood, more House seats, ranked-choice voting, and multi-member districts. I leave swapping our constitution for a new parliamentary one as an exercise for the reader.
For a better summary (of the 1990 paper): https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016...
August 15, 2024
This book is very clear and well written. The book does a good job of pinpointing some of the key factors in the current state of our democracy. They referred to the stealth actors like the Koch brothers and others identified in Jane Mayer's book Dark Money.
At the time that I purchased this book, I was helping to form a local Indivisible group. Having already participated in the very successful women's National March (in Austin) after Trump's election, I was part of a group of about seven women who wanted to activate others in our local area. We raised a couple of thousand dollars, and started planning events. The events were interesting and we made visits to offices of our elected politicians, but we did not seem to be able to grow ourselves into a larger group. We were rather disheartened to learn that we were not to included in the national list of Indivisible groups. Overall, it was a good experience, but ultimately our group disintegrated.
At this time, I think the book is somewhat dated, although it does contain what is now historical political information and some ideas of how to tackle our current government system.
At the time that I purchased this book, I was helping to form a local Indivisible group. Having already participated in the very successful women's National March (in Austin) after Trump's election, I was part of a group of about seven women who wanted to activate others in our local area. We raised a couple of thousand dollars, and started planning events. The events were interesting and we made visits to offices of our elected politicians, but we did not seem to be able to grow ourselves into a larger group. We were rather disheartened to learn that we were not to included in the national list of Indivisible groups. Overall, it was a good experience, but ultimately our group disintegrated.
At this time, I think the book is somewhat dated, although it does contain what is now historical political information and some ideas of how to tackle our current government system.
November 5, 2019
This is a thought provoking read, most particularly the third section, where some of the problems and potential solutions to our democracy are laid out. If you have been a part of the Indivisible movement since early 2017, I don’t think the first two parts of this book will come as too much of surprise to you. However, the stories told are very captivating and point to the power and importance of a grassroots movement. I recommend this book, particularly to those haven’t yet gotten involved in their local network of activists - I think this will give you an idea of how you can have your voice heard and make our democracy more representative.
And of course, if you haven’t yet, you should also read the original Indivisible Guide, as well as the newer Indivisible On Offense, which came out after the 2018 midterms. They are both short reads, and will give you the abbreviated version of action steps you and your local grassroots group can take.
And of course, if you haven’t yet, you should also read the original Indivisible Guide, as well as the newer Indivisible On Offense, which came out after the 2018 midterms. They are both short reads, and will give you the abbreviated version of action steps you and your local grassroots group can take.
December 19, 2019
The tone of the book is odd. It's not academic, their theory is you need to have fun while trying to save the country, so the book takes on that flavor. The first two sections seem to be a bit repetitive like they needed to stretch. The third section gets to the important part of the title, a blueprint for democracy after trump. I just can't see what they lay out ever happening, and these ambitious goals have to be considered alongside other issues outside of the realm of this book; but climate change and other priorities will need to be dealt with also, making it that much harder.
One thing I really appreciated was their discussion of Indivisible being a group consisting of a lot of white privilege. Starting with the founders, but I don't know why it is true for the makeup of so many chapters.
One thing I really appreciated was their discussion of Indivisible being a group consisting of a lot of white privilege. Starting with the founders, but I don't know why it is true for the makeup of so many chapters.
January 17, 2020
The authors identify the challenges the US faces in the Trump era, recounting their own frustration at the ushering in of said era followed by an exhaustive synopsis of the Indivisible organization’s ability to apply pressure to resist bad law proposals, encourage the retirements of bad actors in Congress, and take back the House in 2018. Afterward, they lay out a bold progressive agenda for digging out the entrenched right-wing riggings of the American system to create a government that is more in line with the desires of the people and less with politicians who are hell-bent on maintaining their power even when it disenfranchises voters and/or goes against the will of the people. I’d say this is an inspiring read going into the 2020 election cycle.
February 25, 2020
I mostly enjoyed this book. I learned a lot about our current state of democracy and what our future could realistically look like with some pressure and participation. The discussion around polarization in this book is a little ironic to me because there is a clear, left view in the ideals, with a generally annoyed/unaccepting tone of those with conservative ideals. As a moderate Democrat, I was able to be more understanding of the language. If you’re not pretty left to begin with, I would read this book with an open mind otherwise it could be off-putting at times. Overall, it was worth the read and I valued the first hand experience of the authors to give the reader insight we may never be exposed to otherwise.
May 28, 2020
This is a thoughtful, and unapologetically partisan history of liberal American political change and a brief history of the Indivisible movement. The intent of this book is to persuade the reader to join the movement to make meaningful change, so the literary merit of the book is not really the point. That being said, there's a refreshing candor here that goes past calling out the other side of the political equation for its lack of leadership and compromised principles.
Anyone who picks up this book is probably going to have a similar outlook to the Greenbergs, and this book is a way of getting the reader that extra mile from bystander to participant status. The book is an effective tool for that purpose.
Anyone who picks up this book is probably going to have a similar outlook to the Greenbergs, and this book is a way of getting the reader that extra mile from bystander to participant status. The book is an effective tool for that purpose.
January 8, 2020
Thing one: I sometimes feel that I am lulled into believing that participating in democracy means voting for democrats and hoping that they stick it to the republicans. This book is a refreshing reminder that participating in democracy means sticking it to both the republicans and the democrats yourself, and demanding that they be better and do better.
Thing two: It is equal parts reassuring and disturbing to have it spelled out how Trump himself is not the problem, but a symptom of a diseased and dying democracy. Defeating Trump, the person, of course won't fix the root causes of our problems.
Thing two: It is equal parts reassuring and disturbing to have it spelled out how Trump himself is not the problem, but a symptom of a diseased and dying democracy. Defeating Trump, the person, of course won't fix the root causes of our problems.
August 3, 2020
A valuable book documenting an important contemporary political movement. I found most helpful the review in Chapter 1: The Problem: A Buckling and Rigged Democracy of "how we got here" (ie, to the point where someone as unqualified and unstable as Donald Trump could be elected president). This succinct but devastating analysis of American politics over, especially, the last 60 years shed some light for me on our current political circumstances. The 19 Indivisible Lessons are very instructive for those of us invested in political action right now, and the "Blueprint for Democracy" is very thought-provoking (and, in some cases, a bit mind-blowing) as a plan for where to go next.
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