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World Citizen Comics
Unrig: How to Fix Our Broken Democracy
An intriguing and accessible nonfiction graphic novel about the role wealth and influence play in American democracy.Despite our immense political divisions, Americans are nearly united in our belief that something is wrong with our It works for the wealthy and powerful, but not for anyone else. Unrig exposes the twisted roots of our broken democracy and highlights the heroic efforts of those unrigging the system to return power to We the People.This stirring nonfiction graphic novel by democracy reform leader Daniel G. Newman and artist George O’Connor takes readers behind the scenes—from the sweaty cubicles where senators dial corporate CEOs for dollars, to lavish retreats where billionaires boost their favored candidates, to the map rooms where lawmakers scheme to handpick their voters. Unrig also highlights surprising solutions that limit the influence of big money and redraw the lines of political power.If you're overwhelmed by negative news and despairing for the direction of our country, Unrig is a tonic that will restore your faith and reveal the path forward to fix our broken democracy.This book is part of the World Citizen Comics series, a bold line of civics-focused graphic novels that equip readers to be engaged citizens and informed voters.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 7, 2020
36 people are currently reading
624 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
September 16, 2020
One of those books you read to make yourself mad and sad as you try to convince yourself to finally get off your fat ass and act. The author is open about his biases and makes reasonable cases for his diagnoses and solutions. He might even be able to sway some folks who aren't too deeply embedded in Trumpism, though probably not.
At times the Koch Brothers stuff, based on the book Dark Money, sounds as wild as the George Soros/Bill Gates conspiracy theories always being tossed around by conservatives on social media and Fox News reader comments. I should probably read that book.
This book works best when it offers concrete solutions to election reform, though it seemed contradictory to move away from "winner takes all" elections at the local and state level with ranked choice and proportional representation while pushing the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact for presidential elections.
Anyway, interesting ideas are offered in an introductory way, but will require additional research to fully get behind.
Regardless, I'm behind voting Trump out of office in November and reforming the mess we've gotten into.
At times the Koch Brothers stuff, based on the book Dark Money, sounds as wild as the George Soros/Bill Gates conspiracy theories always being tossed around by conservatives on social media and Fox News reader comments. I should probably read that book.
This book works best when it offers concrete solutions to election reform, though it seemed contradictory to move away from "winner takes all" elections at the local and state level with ranked choice and proportional representation while pushing the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact for presidential elections.
Anyway, interesting ideas are offered in an introductory way, but will require additional research to fully get behind.
Regardless, I'm behind voting Trump out of office in November and reforming the mess we've gotten into.
August 19, 2023
A comprehensive roadmap of fundamental flaws in our system of government. Given the depressing, demoralizing nature and extent of the problems, I'm in awe of how optimistic and solution-oriented this book is. It's not a rant, it's a well-sourced repair manual.
----------------
Problem
Money wins elections.
Electoral success is directly linked to fundraising. Fundraising puts the candidate in the pocket of wealthy donors. That's why politicians work for billionaires and corporations rather than the electorate. Wealthy communities are also more likely to run candidates, donate, and vote; politicians then lavish attention on them, ignoring poorer constituents.
"Worthy individuals will in fact rise from poverty on a regular basis and that will make it easier to ignore those who are left behind." Tyler Cowen, libertarian economist and billionaire evangelist.
Solution
Clean Elections.
Seattle, Berkeley, Arizona, and Connecticut each has a different form of publicly funded elections (democracy vouchers or small-donation matching) that allows candidates to run successfully without taking billionaire donations. Democracy vouchers are shown to increase low-income voting, which increases politician involvement with non-wealthy voters.
(Gasp, spend taxes to pay for candidates' campaigns???, you say? For context: the US spends $43B/yr on video games; it would cost $2.5B to publicly fund elections. The $2 trillion spent on the Iraq War would fund US election campaigns for 800 years.)
----------------
Problem
Lobbying.
Congresspersons are required by both parties to spend 4+ hours per daybegging for money fundraising. More if they're on a committee. Nonstop fundraisers are held in addition to that time, leaving little room for them to do their actual jobs. These financial responsibilities are met first and foremost by lobbyists. Additionally, the bulk of Congress's policy expertise is supplied by lobbyists. And about 50% of Congresspeople become highly paid lobbyists when they leave office. This incestuous relationship with lobbying forces Congresspersons to serve corporate profits rather than the good of their constituents.
Solution
1) Ban the Congress/lobbyist revolving door.
2) Publicly fund elections so that Congresspeople aren't dependent on lobbies.
3) Increase staff pay and headcount so that policy skill stays in Congress.
4) Create a citizen's lobby organization: the Consumer Protection Agency. (This idea was proposed by President Carter.)
5) Reconstitute the nonpartisan Office of Technology Assessment, which was killed by Republicans in 1995.
----------------
Problem
Dark money.
It allows wealthy special interests to buy politicians without the public knowing. It removes accountability and prevents voters from being able to make informed choices.
Solution
Ban dark money, duh.
----------------
Problem
Voter suppression.
A brief history: poll taxes, literacy tests (the appalling jelly bean test), byzantine ID laws, time taxes (lines deliberately made to be hours long), reducing polling stations in black communities, opposing early and absentee voting (except for the military, which tends to vote red).
"I don't want everybody to vote...Our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down." Paul Weyrich, co-founder of the Moral Majority and numerous conservative think tanks.
Solution
Reinstate the preclearance components of the Voter Rights Act, which were killed by the Supreme Court conservative wing in 2013. They worked extremely well for almost 50 years, and their removal led to an immediate flood of voter suppression bills.
----------------
Problem
Rampant gerrymandering.
Solution
1) Citizen's, non-partisan, or bipartisan redistricting commissions, such as that created by Voters Not Politicians in Michigan.
2) Proportional Representation (prorep)--Instead of single-representative districts (with minorities represented by majority candidates), create large multi-representative districts. Every demographic winds up with representatives, and the reps work better together because they all represent the entire constituency. Most western democracies use this system, with excellent results.
3) Ranked Choice Voting (RCV). No more vote-for-the-lesser-of-two-evils, no more split votes capsizing the will of the people. RCV drastically reduces negative campaigning, because a) now the R's and D's have to run against numerous candidates which makes negative ads inefficient, and b) they're now hoping to pickup 2nd and 3rd choice votes, so can't afford to offend too many voters. RCV also saves tax money because it automatically eliminates primaries and runoff elections; all of that is covered by ranked choice.
----------------
----------------
Problem
Money wins elections.
Electoral success is directly linked to fundraising. Fundraising puts the candidate in the pocket of wealthy donors. That's why politicians work for billionaires and corporations rather than the electorate. Wealthy communities are also more likely to run candidates, donate, and vote; politicians then lavish attention on them, ignoring poorer constituents.
"Worthy individuals will in fact rise from poverty on a regular basis and that will make it easier to ignore those who are left behind." Tyler Cowen, libertarian economist and billionaire evangelist.
Solution
Clean Elections.
Seattle, Berkeley, Arizona, and Connecticut each has a different form of publicly funded elections (democracy vouchers or small-donation matching) that allows candidates to run successfully without taking billionaire donations. Democracy vouchers are shown to increase low-income voting, which increases politician involvement with non-wealthy voters.
(Gasp, spend taxes to pay for candidates' campaigns???, you say? For context: the US spends $43B/yr on video games; it would cost $2.5B to publicly fund elections. The $2 trillion spent on the Iraq War would fund US election campaigns for 800 years.)
----------------
Problem
Lobbying.
Congresspersons are required by both parties to spend 4+ hours per day
Solution
1) Ban the Congress/lobbyist revolving door.
2) Publicly fund elections so that Congresspeople aren't dependent on lobbies.
3) Increase staff pay and headcount so that policy skill stays in Congress.
4) Create a citizen's lobby organization: the Consumer Protection Agency. (This idea was proposed by President Carter.)
5) Reconstitute the nonpartisan Office of Technology Assessment, which was killed by Republicans in 1995.
----------------
Problem
Dark money.
It allows wealthy special interests to buy politicians without the public knowing. It removes accountability and prevents voters from being able to make informed choices.
Solution
Ban dark money, duh.
----------------
Problem
Voter suppression.
A brief history: poll taxes, literacy tests (the appalling jelly bean test), byzantine ID laws, time taxes (lines deliberately made to be hours long), reducing polling stations in black communities, opposing early and absentee voting (except for the military, which tends to vote red).
"I don't want everybody to vote...Our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down." Paul Weyrich, co-founder of the Moral Majority and numerous conservative think tanks.
Solution
Reinstate the preclearance components of the Voter Rights Act, which were killed by the Supreme Court conservative wing in 2013. They worked extremely well for almost 50 years, and their removal led to an immediate flood of voter suppression bills.
----------------
Problem
Rampant gerrymandering.
Solution
1) Citizen's, non-partisan, or bipartisan redistricting commissions, such as that created by Voters Not Politicians in Michigan.
2) Proportional Representation (prorep)--Instead of single-representative districts (with minorities represented by majority candidates), create large multi-representative districts. Every demographic winds up with representatives, and the reps work better together because they all represent the entire constituency. Most western democracies use this system, with excellent results.
3) Ranked Choice Voting (RCV). No more vote-for-the-lesser-of-two-evils, no more split votes capsizing the will of the people. RCV drastically reduces negative campaigning, because a) now the R's and D's have to run against numerous candidates which makes negative ads inefficient, and b) they're now hoping to pickup 2nd and 3rd choice votes, so can't afford to offend too many voters. RCV also saves tax money because it automatically eliminates primaries and runoff elections; all of that is covered by ranked choice.
----------------
April 13, 2021
Many recently published books have been keen on pointing out the flaws of American democracy. However, not many offer actionable solutions that we the people can work towards, like Unrig: How to Fix Our Broken Democracy (2020) does. Written by democracy reform advocate Daniel Newman, this accessible graphic novel is both a quintessential civics primer and a guidebook for American citizens to press for change.
When the flaws in our democratic system are revealed, the reaction tends to tilt towards despair and inaction at the scale and extent of the problems of increased economic inequality, voter suppression, and a tilt of the government towards wealthy interests at the expense of the poorer many.
Unrig provides the needed counter to the pessimism of our times, outlining the strategies and tools citizens can utilize or push for to target the systemic inequities: citizen-led redistricting, the federal Voting Rights Act legislation, ranked choice voting (RCV), and campaign finance reforms (to name a few). The idea is to balance the scales of political power, so that the voices of the many can make themselves known.
Essentially, Unrig breaks down a big problem into its component pieces and gives ideas for citizens on reform in each area, which I found incredibly helpful. Otherwise, it just makes such systemic problems seem insurmountable, which can breed despair and hopelessness, and even lead some to completely disconnect from politics and governance.
It’s a refreshing break from the 24/7 news cycle of doom and destruction. It’s hope.
-Cora
Find this book and other titles within our catalog.
When the flaws in our democratic system are revealed, the reaction tends to tilt towards despair and inaction at the scale and extent of the problems of increased economic inequality, voter suppression, and a tilt of the government towards wealthy interests at the expense of the poorer many.
Unrig provides the needed counter to the pessimism of our times, outlining the strategies and tools citizens can utilize or push for to target the systemic inequities: citizen-led redistricting, the federal Voting Rights Act legislation, ranked choice voting (RCV), and campaign finance reforms (to name a few). The idea is to balance the scales of political power, so that the voices of the many can make themselves known.
Essentially, Unrig breaks down a big problem into its component pieces and gives ideas for citizens on reform in each area, which I found incredibly helpful. Otherwise, it just makes such systemic problems seem insurmountable, which can breed despair and hopelessness, and even lead some to completely disconnect from politics and governance.
It’s a refreshing break from the 24/7 news cycle of doom and destruction. It’s hope.
-Cora
Find this book and other titles within our catalog.
July 22, 2020
Having been raised in a mostly-white mostly-middle-class part of a purple state, I understood that the United States is a government for, by, and of the people. But for the last ten years or so that hasn't felt like it was particularly true anymore... and it wasn't just because of the presidential election or the current unrest. Nobody seemed to be able to tell me why, though, and the few that tried fell into traps of Democrat and Republican stereotype talking points and attacks on the other party.
Which didn't make sense, really, because I know Democrats and Republicans and while everyone has points they differ on, we're really not as far apart (on the whole) at the grass roots level as we believe. Heck, I was raised Republican, and the Republican party of today is definitely not espousing the same values as the one that existed when I was in high school.
So what the heck's been happening? Why can't we get along? Who the hell are the Koch Brothers and why do I care? How is Betsy DeVos in charge of education and why does it look like she's purposely destroying public schools? Why are the elections swinging directions that we don't expect, or don't want?
When Scott McCloud mentioned this book on Twitter I decided to give it a shot, and it's done a very good job of describing the forces that are pressuring both our elected officials and the elections themselves.
Daniel Newman puts forth a case (with a sizable bibliography) that the ultra-rich in the US banded together and started playing a long game years ago with the intent to take control of the democracy out of the hands of common citizens like you and me. Dark money influences both elections and the elected. It changes how our electoral maps are drawn. It prevents fair elections. It increases the financial effects of corporate lobbyists to get what they want.
It's a freaking mess.
But this book isn't just an explainer for what's happened over the last 20-50 years. It's also an explanation for what we, the people, can actually do about it. It explains ranked choice voting, clean elections, the Voting Rights Act, gerrymandering, and many other political tools that we can use to make our democracy more or less fair, and then what we can do to wield those tools.
And look, if you've fully bought into the narrative that the government should be small and helpless and distrusted, or that people shouldn't help each other or work together for better lives because it's a dog-eat-dog world, you're probably not going to be a big fan. This book assumes that neighbors help neighbors, we all want better lives, and we can work together to get them. It doesn't ascribe to any specific ideology although it does make it clear that most of the dark money from the ultra-rich is going into the Republican party with the specific intent to undermine democracy.
This book is for disillusioned Republicans, frustrated Independents, confused Democrats, and everyone else who's looking for an explanation of our current political and democratic situation in clear terms, with a compelling and precise visual and textual story. It's for everyone that needs a graphic novel (graphic textbook?) refresher in that civics class you might not have had in five, ten, twenty, or thirty years. It's for people thinking of getting into politics now, people thinking of getting into politics later, and people who are just sick of attack ads on television and always having the worst choices at the election box.
The book has an accompanying website for bringing people who want to unrig our democracy together. And it's time.
Which didn't make sense, really, because I know Democrats and Republicans and while everyone has points they differ on, we're really not as far apart (on the whole) at the grass roots level as we believe. Heck, I was raised Republican, and the Republican party of today is definitely not espousing the same values as the one that existed when I was in high school.
So what the heck's been happening? Why can't we get along? Who the hell are the Koch Brothers and why do I care? How is Betsy DeVos in charge of education and why does it look like she's purposely destroying public schools? Why are the elections swinging directions that we don't expect, or don't want?
When Scott McCloud mentioned this book on Twitter I decided to give it a shot, and it's done a very good job of describing the forces that are pressuring both our elected officials and the elections themselves.
Daniel Newman puts forth a case (with a sizable bibliography) that the ultra-rich in the US banded together and started playing a long game years ago with the intent to take control of the democracy out of the hands of common citizens like you and me. Dark money influences both elections and the elected. It changes how our electoral maps are drawn. It prevents fair elections. It increases the financial effects of corporate lobbyists to get what they want.
It's a freaking mess.
But this book isn't just an explainer for what's happened over the last 20-50 years. It's also an explanation for what we, the people, can actually do about it. It explains ranked choice voting, clean elections, the Voting Rights Act, gerrymandering, and many other political tools that we can use to make our democracy more or less fair, and then what we can do to wield those tools.
And look, if you've fully bought into the narrative that the government should be small and helpless and distrusted, or that people shouldn't help each other or work together for better lives because it's a dog-eat-dog world, you're probably not going to be a big fan. This book assumes that neighbors help neighbors, we all want better lives, and we can work together to get them. It doesn't ascribe to any specific ideology although it does make it clear that most of the dark money from the ultra-rich is going into the Republican party with the specific intent to undermine democracy.
This book is for disillusioned Republicans, frustrated Independents, confused Democrats, and everyone else who's looking for an explanation of our current political and democratic situation in clear terms, with a compelling and precise visual and textual story. It's for everyone that needs a graphic novel (graphic textbook?) refresher in that civics class you might not have had in five, ten, twenty, or thirty years. It's for people thinking of getting into politics now, people thinking of getting into politics later, and people who are just sick of attack ads on television and always having the worst choices at the election box.
The book has an accompanying website for bringing people who want to unrig our democracy together. And it's time.
January 19, 2021
This is a hard one to review. Parts of it (the final few chapters) were just top notch. I loved the sections on multi-member districts and ranked choice voting since my entire senior thesis was about that as ways to enhance the democratic process in the US. It was down is such an accessible and practical way that I think the general public, despite political leaning, would be on board.
The author is very up front about his biases and I found that refreshing and helpful. Bias does not mean that he is right or wrong, just how he views the world. I wish for greater audience engagement that the book could have been more bipartisan, but I also understand his reasons for calling out the issues that he sees.
The chapter on wealth hoarders was the hardest to be on board with the presentation, because it felt more like despair and fear than factual info. Not that much (or all) of it wasn’t true, I just thought the presentation was over the top, especially for anyone who leans libertarian (or votes republican primarily).
The doom and gloom of much of the first part of the book seemed odd contrasted with the exuberant hopefulness of the second half. I’m mich more of centrist and feel not nearly as despairing as the first half, nor as hopeful as the second half.
The graphic novel style of this book really worked for me. I think it would have been super dry without the illustrations, even as someone who likes to read about government. The accessibility of this style is great and I can’t wait to get my hands on Fault Lines in the Constitution also.
The author is very up front about his biases and I found that refreshing and helpful. Bias does not mean that he is right or wrong, just how he views the world. I wish for greater audience engagement that the book could have been more bipartisan, but I also understand his reasons for calling out the issues that he sees.
The chapter on wealth hoarders was the hardest to be on board with the presentation, because it felt more like despair and fear than factual info. Not that much (or all) of it wasn’t true, I just thought the presentation was over the top, especially for anyone who leans libertarian (or votes republican primarily).
The doom and gloom of much of the first part of the book seemed odd contrasted with the exuberant hopefulness of the second half. I’m mich more of centrist and feel not nearly as despairing as the first half, nor as hopeful as the second half.
The graphic novel style of this book really worked for me. I think it would have been super dry without the illustrations, even as someone who likes to read about government. The accessibility of this style is great and I can’t wait to get my hands on Fault Lines in the Constitution also.
February 15, 2021
This is a book everyone should read. Most people I speak with are fed up with what our elected officials are doing, or not doing, at all levels of government across America. This book talks about why that is, how things got to be this way, and what we can do about it. Inspiring and hopeful, though there is a lot of work to be done.
October 17, 2020
A very hopeful graphic book about restoring democracy to the USA and how to do it. It also discusses problems in its history, why the government developed the way it it did and what’s happening now. An important chapter is about the Koch family and other billionaires who have been working to take over the government to serve themselves and ignore the citizens and people who live here. They don’t plan on paying taxes, taking care of the environment or allowing people healthcare, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, fair wages or job safety and security. We need to work at this government and take it back for the benefit for all people and fairness.
March 8, 2021
This took me a while to finish because it was easy to pick up and put down but it ended up being one of the best books about politics that I've read in a long time. Its chocked full of actual SOLUTIONS in addition to identifying the structural issues at play. Politics can feel really exhausting and depressing, particularly for marginalized people after the last four years, but this is an educational and hopeful balm to doomscrolling nihilism.
May 17, 2022
An absolutely essential guidebook for anyone who wants to defend and expand democracy. If you're feeling hopeless, read this book. Then get out there and do the work.
June 16, 2021
Should be titled "Outrage Machine: The Book." I appreciate what Dan Newman's doing in Unrig and he's really quite effective at it, but I was thoroughly exhausted by the repetitiveness of the text and the inherent "YOU SHOULD CARE ABOUT THIS" nature of each chapter. A worthy read, but a tiring read. Unrig would benefit from more concrete examples and fewer pages of stock text about why a given issue is infuriating.
I did particularly enjoy Unrig's book report chapter on how wealth hoarders influence our government. A pretty wild, almost unbelievable take that these rich folks actively want less government to the point of chaos. I don't disbelieve it...but I gotta imagine these rich folks are not actually the mustache-twirling villains Unrig makes them out to be.
Having now read Unrig, Drawing the Vote, and Fault Lines in the Constitution in fairly quick succession, I've come to two conclusions. 1. I do not need to read a book about gerrymandering, voter suppression, or any other type of vote rigging ever again. 2. I like my outrage machine books when they tie current events to historical events. Unrig lacked that connection to the past, making our current democracy issues seem like the only democracy issues our government has experienced.
I did particularly enjoy Unrig's book report chapter on how wealth hoarders influence our government. A pretty wild, almost unbelievable take that these rich folks actively want less government to the point of chaos. I don't disbelieve it...but I gotta imagine these rich folks are not actually the mustache-twirling villains Unrig makes them out to be.
Having now read Unrig, Drawing the Vote, and Fault Lines in the Constitution in fairly quick succession, I've come to two conclusions. 1. I do not need to read a book about gerrymandering, voter suppression, or any other type of vote rigging ever again. 2. I like my outrage machine books when they tie current events to historical events. Unrig lacked that connection to the past, making our current democracy issues seem like the only democracy issues our government has experienced.
August 19, 2023
This series of comics is great for people of all ages to learn about civics. This first book explains how the average citizen can, with a few friends or a small group, work for a long time and make a significant change in some aspect of our "politics run by the 1%." Examples of real activism are provided!
August 14, 2020
An educational and excellent, but depressing, overview of our broken democracy. I’ve been saying our government is broken for a long time. This book illustrates why clearly and concisely: wealth hoarders. Sad to realize that the wealthy could care less about anyone but themselves and buy elections and politicians to guarantee their way of life. I will be researching the web site to see how I can get involved in fixing our democracy. I can hear shouts from naysayers of “fake news” as I close the last page. Hopefully thousands of smart and caring people will read this book and step up, too.
September 1, 2020
Nice, easy to read format. Inspiring and practical suggestions at the local, state and federal level (although the federal level would need some much more serious work and money). A little depressing when it gets into the forces trying to destroy our democracy and the success they are having.
July 24, 2020
This nonfiction graphic novel belongs in all classrooms!
August 6, 2021
“Everyone’s voice is supposed to matter. And our elected leaders are supposed to act to help everyone. But over time, I noticed that’s not how it works in practice. Say you want to help solve the childhood obesity crisis. A law adding fresh fruit to school breakfasts was proposed in California to do just that. But there was a problem. Food processing companies don’t earn money from fresh fruit, only canned and processed fruit. Through their influence, the language in the law was changed from fresh fruit to “nutritious” fruit…The food processing industry gave more than $1 million to the campaigns of more than 200 state lawmakers in the years before the vote. And taxpayer money intended for fresh fruit was instead used to serve kids canned fruit in sugar syrup. Just so that food processing companies can make more money.”
OK, quick switch to something a little more optimistic, in 2015 Seattle was the first place in the US to vote for the idea of Democracy vouchers, bringing the city a lot more closer to meaningful democracy in action. Twenty odd other cities throughout the US have also adopted similar ideas which are far more inclusive and are so advanced that they have earned the name “clean elections” a bold statement to make anywhere within American politics.
“I came to realise that when we let wealth and connections drive who gets elected, we get the dismal politics we now awaken to every morning.”
These are the words of Paul Perry after his first, failed bid for political office. He later adds that,
“The system points you to pay attention to the people who don’t deserve as much of your attention. The people who need you the least have the most influence over you, just because of the way the system is structured.”
Some other troubling facts include, the amount spent of the illegal invasion and ensuing war in Iraq to er bring democracy to Iraq would pay for US election campaigns for 800 years. Apparently more than 1000 hours of a congressman’s public funded time is dedicated to calling people asking them for money. That’s all that time spent on raising money instead of solving the problems they were elected to solve.
“If hedge fund managers paid the same tax rate as everyone else, it would pay for clean elections seven times over.”
When the politicians of your country agree to pass a law which allows corporations and individuals to spend unlimited amounts of money to influence politics you have a terrifying scenario, which as well as being absolutely nothing to do with democracy you end up with a sick and dying country, descending deeper and deeper into division and disarray.
“In a phenomenon never before seen in history, a small group of billionaires has organised and funded a comprehensive, long-term assault on American democracy that continues today.”
Secrecy and deception are the two crucial factors in the wealth hoarders long game. Quite frankly there appears to be no limit on how greedy, awful and inhumane the lobbyists, corporations and politicians of the US are willing to be in order to grasp even more profit and power at the expense of the majority. These are shameless, heartless sociopathic individuals and corporations who have no interest in society or the people within it, beyond what they can extract and exploit from it. Extreme examples include the poisoned water of Flint, Michigan or like in the case of North Carolina, where the plan appears to be trying to turn the place into a hillbilly swamp of corruption, ignorance and poverty.
This is an outstanding piece of work, it is profound, eloquent and presented in a clear, accessible and engaging way. I would love to see this sitting in every library, school and college throughout the United States, I believe if enough people read this and had any idea how corrupt and broken US politics is and realised the ways they had the potential to change it, that this could go some way to affecting positive change, because right now their system has become so poisoned and blinded by the billions from corporations that it looks more like a tin pot kleptocracy than the land of the free.
OK, quick switch to something a little more optimistic, in 2015 Seattle was the first place in the US to vote for the idea of Democracy vouchers, bringing the city a lot more closer to meaningful democracy in action. Twenty odd other cities throughout the US have also adopted similar ideas which are far more inclusive and are so advanced that they have earned the name “clean elections” a bold statement to make anywhere within American politics.
“I came to realise that when we let wealth and connections drive who gets elected, we get the dismal politics we now awaken to every morning.”
These are the words of Paul Perry after his first, failed bid for political office. He later adds that,
“The system points you to pay attention to the people who don’t deserve as much of your attention. The people who need you the least have the most influence over you, just because of the way the system is structured.”
Some other troubling facts include, the amount spent of the illegal invasion and ensuing war in Iraq to er bring democracy to Iraq would pay for US election campaigns for 800 years. Apparently more than 1000 hours of a congressman’s public funded time is dedicated to calling people asking them for money. That’s all that time spent on raising money instead of solving the problems they were elected to solve.
“If hedge fund managers paid the same tax rate as everyone else, it would pay for clean elections seven times over.”
When the politicians of your country agree to pass a law which allows corporations and individuals to spend unlimited amounts of money to influence politics you have a terrifying scenario, which as well as being absolutely nothing to do with democracy you end up with a sick and dying country, descending deeper and deeper into division and disarray.
“In a phenomenon never before seen in history, a small group of billionaires has organised and funded a comprehensive, long-term assault on American democracy that continues today.”
Secrecy and deception are the two crucial factors in the wealth hoarders long game. Quite frankly there appears to be no limit on how greedy, awful and inhumane the lobbyists, corporations and politicians of the US are willing to be in order to grasp even more profit and power at the expense of the majority. These are shameless, heartless sociopathic individuals and corporations who have no interest in society or the people within it, beyond what they can extract and exploit from it. Extreme examples include the poisoned water of Flint, Michigan or like in the case of North Carolina, where the plan appears to be trying to turn the place into a hillbilly swamp of corruption, ignorance and poverty.
This is an outstanding piece of work, it is profound, eloquent and presented in a clear, accessible and engaging way. I would love to see this sitting in every library, school and college throughout the United States, I believe if enough people read this and had any idea how corrupt and broken US politics is and realised the ways they had the potential to change it, that this could go some way to affecting positive change, because right now their system has become so poisoned and blinded by the billions from corporations that it looks more like a tin pot kleptocracy than the land of the free.
October 27, 2020
I don't know if I've ever read a non-fiction comic like this before, and I have to say: it was a really good way to keep me interested in the topic. There was one section in the middle especially that I don't think I would have kept reading if this book was written in traditional prose format. It was just too dark (appropriate, since it was largely about dark money in campaign finance) and depressing—but the comic format kept me reading where prose would not.
It does get a bit heavy-handed in places, and I haven't yet done any additional research to determine if I feel this was appropriate to the reality, or extreme. If it's all true and unembellished, then the state of our government is even more depressing than I had realized.
Luckily, there is a section at the end that focus on what we can do next. I think ending this book without some action items and steps to fix it would have left me feeling sad and upset, but ending with a chapter that summarizes the next steps touched on in previous chapters—and expanding them, as well as adding new things—ends the book on a positive note with at least a touch of hope. I also really appreciate the list of sources cited, and the index. I wasn't expecting that, given the comic format, but it's going to be really helpful when I revisit some of the ideas and action items listed here.
It does get a bit heavy-handed in places, and I haven't yet done any additional research to determine if I feel this was appropriate to the reality, or extreme. If it's all true and unembellished, then the state of our government is even more depressing than I had realized.
Luckily, there is a section at the end that focus on what we can do next. I think ending this book without some action items and steps to fix it would have left me feeling sad and upset, but ending with a chapter that summarizes the next steps touched on in previous chapters—and expanding them, as well as adding new things—ends the book on a positive note with at least a touch of hope. I also really appreciate the list of sources cited, and the index. I wasn't expecting that, given the comic format, but it's going to be really helpful when I revisit some of the ideas and action items listed here.
December 23, 2020
This was incredibly informative and taught me so much about the problems with American politics in a short span of pages. I am making more of an effort recently to understand how politics works in my country and figuring out how to do that when I have never had a natural interest in it. Reading about it in graphic novel form was very helpful to me but this author also just did a great job of breaking down the problem, the proposed solution, and real world evidence of that solution in action.
This book also had multiple examples of how the political system has a history of and still currently actively works to suppress African American communities. Since being more educated about that particular issue has been a goal this year and is one I want to maintain in the future, that was a real highlight of reading this for me.
I'm very excited for First Second's new line of politically driven comics. It's such a great idea and hopefully has even more of an audience now that so many people are making an effort to be more politically involved. In general, I'm really loving graphic novels as a way to understand non-fiction issues since I am not as interested in reading those as much but still want to learn more. This publisher has some other historically based books that I want to check out too.
This book also had multiple examples of how the political system has a history of and still currently actively works to suppress African American communities. Since being more educated about that particular issue has been a goal this year and is one I want to maintain in the future, that was a real highlight of reading this for me.
I'm very excited for First Second's new line of politically driven comics. It's such a great idea and hopefully has even more of an audience now that so many people are making an effort to be more politically involved. In general, I'm really loving graphic novels as a way to understand non-fiction issues since I am not as interested in reading those as much but still want to learn more. This publisher has some other historically based books that I want to check out too.
December 22, 2020
This visual novel describes how broken America's democracy is, and proposes a few suggestions on how to fix some of its fundamental structures like campaign financing and lobbying.
There is a strong liberal/progressive spin in this book, and some of the examples may lose their pertinence over-time, but most of the arguments and proposed solutions here shed light on the corporatization of America. Given the political chaos of the last four years, the content in this book is a must-know for everyone, and the form-factor of a visual novel makes it approachable for every high school student; it only takes a few hours to go through too
There is a strong liberal/progressive spin in this book, and some of the examples may lose their pertinence over-time, but most of the arguments and proposed solutions here shed light on the corporatization of America. Given the political chaos of the last four years, the content in this book is a must-know for everyone, and the form-factor of a visual novel makes it approachable for every high school student; it only takes a few hours to go through too
March 25, 2021
Some suggestions for change that aren’t merely posting snark on social media.
August 31, 2025
Enjoyable, hopeful, and encouraging! Seems like something high schoolers should read.
August 22, 2024
This book shows a lot of flaws in the system! How it is set up to benefit the few. It does end on a high note with ideas for fixing the system.
August 22, 2020
Clearly explains ranked-choice voting in exactly four frames. (PS vote YES on MA Question #2 on Nov 3!) So much information, tempered by positivity and success stories.
September 12, 2020
Unrig is an exceptionally well done book of political advocacy. A fierce attack on the entrenched political system that protects power against the people. Every chapter starts off with problem but ends with examples of ordinary people have broken that power along with presenting others ideas. Newman does not undersell the problems - but the author truly believes in democracy and that individuals can take action. Indeed, participation for the author is more than a means to end but end in itself - a way to live a more meaningful life. The illustrations by George O’Connor , bold and bright, perfectly complement the content. The graphic are a marvel that add emotional depth to a book that would read as little thin without them. This book works as a great primer on our democracy, a call to action, and a mini-civics lesson in one.
The book isn't perfect. The arguments can oversimplify problems, and the solutions ignore any downsides. Some of the simplification is excusable given the form and the purpose. But both the arguments and the solutions are reductionist at-times. And his faith in democracy ignores the populism that comes often with unfettered democracy. This blind-spot comes out when he talks about the constitution and Shay’s rebelling, for example.
Yet, anyone who wants a better understanding of the magnitude of the problems facing our democracy, who want to be inspired and be provided with ways to get involved, this is a great book and a great comic.
Here are some of the arguments and solutions
Running for congress
Ordinary Americans without backers can’t afford to run. This also means that politicization need to spend more time listening to rich voters and corporations. But clean elections can help minimize the money advantage and get more people involved (e.g. democracy vouchers) He details the people powered struggle to pass vouchers in Seattle but it was successful. Requiring transparency in money; increase staff, and develop a public advocacy agency to help draft legislation.
Wealth horders:
How a very small percentage of very wealth people use dark money to keep their advantage. Instead of running directory or advocating their idea, they invest in think tanks to influence the influencers. Their agenda includes tormenting distrust in and making sure that right to vote is limited. The ways to fight back are to call out those institutions are teachers who take the money.
Voter suppression
After reviewing the long history of voter suppression, particularly since the Civil a=war, Newman focuses on current practices such as voter ID (e.g. college id not accepted but gun permit is), limits on early voting, gutting the voter right act. Solutions include moving election, standardizing early voting, automatic voter registration, civics classes, and felony voting.
The history of voting districts and the power of an impartial system to draw them up.
The book’s webpage show’s lots of ways to be involved. https://www.unrigbook.com/
The book isn't perfect. The arguments can oversimplify problems, and the solutions ignore any downsides. Some of the simplification is excusable given the form and the purpose. But both the arguments and the solutions are reductionist at-times. And his faith in democracy ignores the populism that comes often with unfettered democracy. This blind-spot comes out when he talks about the constitution and Shay’s rebelling, for example.
Yet, anyone who wants a better understanding of the magnitude of the problems facing our democracy, who want to be inspired and be provided with ways to get involved, this is a great book and a great comic.
Here are some of the arguments and solutions
Running for congress
Ordinary Americans without backers can’t afford to run. This also means that politicization need to spend more time listening to rich voters and corporations. But clean elections can help minimize the money advantage and get more people involved (e.g. democracy vouchers) He details the people powered struggle to pass vouchers in Seattle but it was successful. Requiring transparency in money; increase staff, and develop a public advocacy agency to help draft legislation.
Wealth horders:
How a very small percentage of very wealth people use dark money to keep their advantage. Instead of running directory or advocating their idea, they invest in think tanks to influence the influencers. Their agenda includes tormenting distrust in and making sure that right to vote is limited. The ways to fight back are to call out those institutions are teachers who take the money.
Voter suppression
After reviewing the long history of voter suppression, particularly since the Civil a=war, Newman focuses on current practices such as voter ID (e.g. college id not accepted but gun permit is), limits on early voting, gutting the voter right act. Solutions include moving election, standardizing early voting, automatic voter registration, civics classes, and felony voting.
The history of voting districts and the power of an impartial system to draw them up.
The book’s webpage show’s lots of ways to be involved. https://www.unrigbook.com/
July 30, 2020
Excellent! I feel so better informed and engaged. Every citizen should read this!
December 30, 2020
Oh, this is a depressing book. Essentially stating that our government is controlled by the 700 wealthiest people in this country, led by the Koch brothers (one did die recently, so I wonder who took his place), in order to eliminate our government, including Medicare, public school funding, Social Security, the Judiciary, and government agencies like the FDA and the EPA. What is so disheartening is reading that all U.S. congresspeople are expected to spend 4 hours every day calling donors for money. And if you're on a committee, you have an even higher quota of donations to bring in, otherwise you are off the committee. I agree, what happened to government by and for all the people?
The author mostly blames Republicans, because that's whom this group actively recruits. He does provide solutions, but we have a long ways to go. This is one of those books we all should read. If it's true that our representatives are spending half their time trying to raise money, then campaign reform is long overdue.
The author mostly blames Republicans, because that's whom this group actively recruits. He does provide solutions, but we have a long ways to go. This is one of those books we all should read. If it's true that our representatives are spending half their time trying to raise money, then campaign reform is long overdue.
August 14, 2020
I was excited when First Second announced its line of World Citizen Comics. I really enjoyed the publisher's nonfiction titles from Box Brown, like Cannabis: The Illegalization of Weed in America and Tetris: The Games People Play. And the series sounded like a good way to educate myself about the United States government and how it has been shaped.
Unrig: How to Fix Our Broken Democracy, in particular, promised to examine what has gone wrong with some of the fundamental democratic aspects of the government (national, state, and local). It has a wealth of information, especially for the uninitiated like myself. There were some topics I had some familiarity with, such as ranked choice voting, but even those were presented with more ramifications than I was experienced with. Dan G. Newman covers a lot of ground, from political finances to voter rights to redistricting. It's a fantastic primer that goes deep enough without making you dizzy or doze off.
There is a definite slant in much of the writing. One of the major premises of the first several chapters is that "wealth hoarders" and corporations are the only ones with enough money to influence the government and thus government only cares about helping those rich people. That morphs into the nature of those in power ensuring the system keeps them in power. And often Republicans are cast as the villains. But they are only cast in that light based on the party's record relative to the wealthy agenda topics, from dark money to gerrymandering. When possible, the book cites some failing of Democrats as well, but not nearly as many. One chapter specifically rails against the Libertarian party, so of course my libertarian friends didn't agree with most of what was said in that particular chapter.
The illustrations are clear and accentuate the writer's points. There's a mixture of realistic art with cartoon images. The realism is reserved for actual people or places, while the cartoons are used to illustrate concepts. There is some slant in these images, too, with the rich people being archetypal evil, Republicans being smug elephants, and Democrats being earnest donkeys. Overall, the illustrations are here to break up the endless talking heads, and they do an admirable job.
Some people will read this book and be inspired. Others will be outraged and argue against it. That's unfortunately the nature of politics. Unrig doesn't take a side with any one party. It wants to ensure the government works for all the people, not just the rich that can afford to finance politicians.
Unrig: How to Fix Our Broken Democracy, in particular, promised to examine what has gone wrong with some of the fundamental democratic aspects of the government (national, state, and local). It has a wealth of information, especially for the uninitiated like myself. There were some topics I had some familiarity with, such as ranked choice voting, but even those were presented with more ramifications than I was experienced with. Dan G. Newman covers a lot of ground, from political finances to voter rights to redistricting. It's a fantastic primer that goes deep enough without making you dizzy or doze off.
There is a definite slant in much of the writing. One of the major premises of the first several chapters is that "wealth hoarders" and corporations are the only ones with enough money to influence the government and thus government only cares about helping those rich people. That morphs into the nature of those in power ensuring the system keeps them in power. And often Republicans are cast as the villains. But they are only cast in that light based on the party's record relative to the wealthy agenda topics, from dark money to gerrymandering. When possible, the book cites some failing of Democrats as well, but not nearly as many. One chapter specifically rails against the Libertarian party, so of course my libertarian friends didn't agree with most of what was said in that particular chapter.
The illustrations are clear and accentuate the writer's points. There's a mixture of realistic art with cartoon images. The realism is reserved for actual people or places, while the cartoons are used to illustrate concepts. There is some slant in these images, too, with the rich people being archetypal evil, Republicans being smug elephants, and Democrats being earnest donkeys. Overall, the illustrations are here to break up the endless talking heads, and they do an admirable job.
Some people will read this book and be inspired. Others will be outraged and argue against it. That's unfortunately the nature of politics. Unrig doesn't take a side with any one party. It wants to ensure the government works for all the people, not just the rich that can afford to finance politicians.
August 6, 2020
Unrig is a nonfiction graphic novel that provides a step-by-step plan for people to get involved in our system of laws, voting, and governmental action. Told with engaging pictures and the immediacy of the 2nd person voice, this book would be a perfect for a young or old activist trying to find their way into progressive politics or as a supplemental textbook for a high school government class. I have actually already told my Social Studies colleagues about it!
With chapters entitled Unrigging the Rules, The Wealth Hoarders, and Drawing the Districts, Newman jumps right into the heart of political gridlock and Washington influencers. Using a number of credible sources including interviews with individuals and excerpts from well-known books, the author provides a wealth of support for his positions. From campaign trail to the supreme court, it is evident after reading this book that money moves things in politics and the author provides several solutions to getting the most people involved in decision making as possible regardless of individual wealth.
I went on Newman’s website to find out a little more about him and found this link that will take you to an excerpt from the book. It’s really good to have a preview of the both the art style and the organization of the book. Go ahead and check it out!
I did find the pages a bit packed at times… as if he was worried about getting it all in. But at the same time, it is just this information that a person will need if they want to enact any lasting change. The wave of change that is sweeping our nation will only be able to be sustained if activists look to long-term solutions like the ones found in this book. Kuddos to Misters Newman and O’Connor!
For my full review: https://paulspicks.blog/2020/07/08/un...
For all my reviews: https://paulspicks.blog
With chapters entitled Unrigging the Rules, The Wealth Hoarders, and Drawing the Districts, Newman jumps right into the heart of political gridlock and Washington influencers. Using a number of credible sources including interviews with individuals and excerpts from well-known books, the author provides a wealth of support for his positions. From campaign trail to the supreme court, it is evident after reading this book that money moves things in politics and the author provides several solutions to getting the most people involved in decision making as possible regardless of individual wealth.
I went on Newman’s website to find out a little more about him and found this link that will take you to an excerpt from the book. It’s really good to have a preview of the both the art style and the organization of the book. Go ahead and check it out!
I did find the pages a bit packed at times… as if he was worried about getting it all in. But at the same time, it is just this information that a person will need if they want to enact any lasting change. The wave of change that is sweeping our nation will only be able to be sustained if activists look to long-term solutions like the ones found in this book. Kuddos to Misters Newman and O’Connor!
For my full review: https://paulspicks.blog/2020/07/08/un...
For all my reviews: https://paulspicks.blog
September 5, 2020
Do not underestimate the seriousness of this book because of the cartoon format. It conveys a very powerful message. It should come as no surprise that most Americans feel that they have not been properly represented by those who have been sent to Washington to represent us. This is a fairly
common sentiment regardless of political affiliation. Something we can all agree on. But why? That’s what this book attempts to explain. From day one, our representatives are rendered impotent by a horribly flawed system. The author diagnosis and clearly identifies the problematic areas. Suggestions for change( some of which have already been implemented in certain states), are proposed. Their are systematic problems that afflict both state and federal government.These problems are becoming worse over time.The solutions are not complex, and are certainly very doable. One of the solutions which is commonly touted is term limits. This solution however is not even mentioned in this book. Why??? Well, it appears that because of flawed government systems, a government official is rendered ineffective even before they step into office for their freshman term. Yes things start to go off the rails during the campaign, and it only gets worse from there. Limiting length of term would not have any impact.Public awareness is key. I wish all voters would read this book. All us voters get short changed by our government, even by those representatives who are competent, capable ,and well intentioned. The good news is, is that we can actually do something about it! The book is a very quick read. The author makes short concise points, which are backed up with facts. If you are disgruntled because it seems like things in this country just never seem to get any better( or things just seem to keep getting worse), perhaps you would enjoy this book!
common sentiment regardless of political affiliation. Something we can all agree on. But why? That’s what this book attempts to explain. From day one, our representatives are rendered impotent by a horribly flawed system. The author diagnosis and clearly identifies the problematic areas. Suggestions for change( some of which have already been implemented in certain states), are proposed. Their are systematic problems that afflict both state and federal government.These problems are becoming worse over time.The solutions are not complex, and are certainly very doable. One of the solutions which is commonly touted is term limits. This solution however is not even mentioned in this book. Why??? Well, it appears that because of flawed government systems, a government official is rendered ineffective even before they step into office for their freshman term. Yes things start to go off the rails during the campaign, and it only gets worse from there. Limiting length of term would not have any impact.Public awareness is key. I wish all voters would read this book. All us voters get short changed by our government, even by those representatives who are competent, capable ,and well intentioned. The good news is, is that we can actually do something about it! The book is a very quick read. The author makes short concise points, which are backed up with facts. If you are disgruntled because it seems like things in this country just never seem to get any better( or things just seem to keep getting worse), perhaps you would enjoy this book!
November 30, 2020
Unrig - This was one of the more comprehensive looks at the current issues with our political system, how we got to this point, and the pathway to counteract the problems that have broken the system we rely on for a representative government.
The heart of the issue is money. Especially how those with massive cash flows are able to manipulate the system from working as intended. How wealth has this corrosive nature that reforms everything from small-town elections to college courses to fit a specific agenda
If you are going to tell the problems it is best to include solutions as well. This provides proven solutions, the people who fought for those solutions, the problems they faced, and a realistic approach to expanding upon their success. For example the Democracy voucher program
Real-life success and failures are peppered throughout to provide context and evidence. A strong organizational structure was key to keeping the fluidity strong. I've read similar books that become adrift in the sea of information that is being covered.
Of course when politics are discussed people will come expecting bias and an agenda. This is very upfront with its targets. It is all about the money. From dirty to clean to government-funded.
I am sure it simplifies some of the proposals but every point is well-argued And backed with evidence and comprehensive examples. The case here is strong and one that should be heard.
The heart of the issue is money. Especially how those with massive cash flows are able to manipulate the system from working as intended. How wealth has this corrosive nature that reforms everything from small-town elections to college courses to fit a specific agenda
If you are going to tell the problems it is best to include solutions as well. This provides proven solutions, the people who fought for those solutions, the problems they faced, and a realistic approach to expanding upon their success. For example the Democracy voucher program
Real-life success and failures are peppered throughout to provide context and evidence. A strong organizational structure was key to keeping the fluidity strong. I've read similar books that become adrift in the sea of information that is being covered.
Of course when politics are discussed people will come expecting bias and an agenda. This is very upfront with its targets. It is all about the money. From dirty to clean to government-funded.
I am sure it simplifies some of the proposals but every point is well-argued And backed with evidence and comprehensive examples. The case here is strong and one that should be heard.
February 22, 2025
Some early thoughts:
- I am halfway through and so far 'how to fix' is lacking. So far this is more: why we're all fucked by a self-perpetuating money-raising system.
- The democratic dollars idea is a band-aid on a broken system. It's almost a pre-vote. Very weird.
- This book spends a little too much time trying to convince us things are bad. No shit.
I've had this graphic novel sitting, partially complete, on an ebook reader since it came out in 2020. And that's not because it's poorly written or poorly drawn. It's because the political reality in America since 2020 has felt so.. irredeemably doomed.
This book is very very depressing, I think because it spends over 60% of its length focusing on how bad things have gotten and providing very little by the way of grassroots solutions to the billionaire-sized problems. The democratic dollars idea is interesting but it's at-best a band-aid for a broken system. And, being English, I of course despise first-past-the-post and of course the electoral college (seriously, does anyone like the electoral college?) but realistically they aren't going to change because there is no power to vote them out. For goodness sake, something as universally loathed as Daylight Savings Time has been passed in the senate but didn't make the House.
So what now?
3 stars because I left with less hope than I arrived. 3 stars because the chapter on the Koch brothers was really interesting and I didn't know anything about how far back this playbook reached.
- I am halfway through and so far 'how to fix' is lacking. So far this is more: why we're all fucked by a self-perpetuating money-raising system.
- The democratic dollars idea is a band-aid on a broken system. It's almost a pre-vote. Very weird.
- This book spends a little too much time trying to convince us things are bad. No shit.
I've had this graphic novel sitting, partially complete, on an ebook reader since it came out in 2020. And that's not because it's poorly written or poorly drawn. It's because the political reality in America since 2020 has felt so.. irredeemably doomed.
This book is very very depressing, I think because it spends over 60% of its length focusing on how bad things have gotten and providing very little by the way of grassroots solutions to the billionaire-sized problems. The democratic dollars idea is interesting but it's at-best a band-aid for a broken system. And, being English, I of course despise first-past-the-post and of course the electoral college (seriously, does anyone like the electoral college?) but realistically they aren't going to change because there is no power to vote them out. For goodness sake, something as universally loathed as Daylight Savings Time has been passed in the senate but didn't make the House.
So what now?
3 stars because I left with less hope than I arrived. 3 stars because the chapter on the Koch brothers was really interesting and I didn't know anything about how far back this playbook reached.
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