OCCUPY! An Unfinished Uprising

In 2011, a handful of skeptical New Yorkers answer a call to Occupy Wall Street. What they find feels less like a protest and more like a glimpse of a different world—one where people openly share stories of debt, hardship, and frustration. They start to build an anti-capitalist village in a tiny Manhattan park — under the watchful eyes of police. Want to dive deeper? Listen to these episodes of F...

Occupy Wall Street is the story of the improbable becoming possible. In 2008, millions of people were devastated by an economic crash caused by Wall Street greed, but it wasn’t until 2011 that there was a mass response from the Left. A call to protest went out, and thousands of people responded. They raged against a system that was rigged against them and tried to create their own anti-capitalist...

We discuss the intersection of policymaking on economics and democracy, the harm of intense concentration of wealth, and the need for building durable civil society. Alex's civic action toolkit recommendations are: Join an organization in your community Be in community with other people Alex Hertel-Fernandez is a labor policy scholar and the Herbert H. Lehman Professor of Government at Columbia Un...

We discuss the enthusiasm for civic engagement by right-wing women, which translates to power and victory at the ballot box. Katie's civic action toolkit recommendations are: 1) Research and know the issues on your ballot 2) Vote in local elections Katie Gaddini is a sociologist, visiting scholar at Stanford University, and the author of Esther's Army: The Christian Women Who Power the American Ri...

We discuss the overlooked and insidious complications from gerontocracy in American democracy. Sam's civic action toolkit recommendations are: 1) Think of democracy as a political form for transient human beings 2) Evangelize one of these ideas: age quotas, tax code reform, or campaign finance reform Samuel Moyn is the Kent Professor of Law and History at Yale University, the cohost of the Digging...

We discuss the balance of influence between activists and the majority in local politics and how we can reinvigorate democracy at the local level. Brian's civic action toolkit recommendations are: 1) Identify the problem you want to fix in your community 2) Develop an innovative solution and advocate for it Brian Adams is professor of political science at San Diego State University and the author...

We discuss the case for SWAMP audits, how we can truly build a multiracial democracy, and why we're going to have to fight for it. Steve's civic action toolkit recommendations are: 1) Find your Minimum Viable Community and engage 2) Do a SWAMP audit! Steve Phillips is the founder of Democracy in Color, a political media organization dedicated to race, politics, and the multicultural progressive Ne...

We discuss the hidden power inside the U.S. Constitution, what it was designed to protect against, and how it can fortify American democracy today. Melissa's civic action toolkit recommendations are: 1) Commit to voting and follow through 2) Make your demands clear to your elected representatives Melissa Murray is the Frederick I. and Grace Stokes Professor of Law at NYU School of Law, co-host of...

We discuss how each of us is a node of possibility for change in the climate crisis, taking us from overwhelm to participation. Katharine's civic action toolkit recommendations are: 1) Keep telling the truth. 2) Join with others in the climate movement. Dr. Katharine Wilkinson is the host of the podcast A Matter of Degrees and the author of Climate Wayfinding: Healing Ourselves and the Planet We C...

We discuss the myriad of ways to fix Congress, ranging from campaign finance reform and age limits to town hall meetings and stopping violence against members of Congress. Maya's civic action toolkit recommendations are: 1) Engage with your member of Congress! 2) Share what matters for you and demand your member to take action Maya Kornberg is senior research fellow at NYU Law's Brennan Center for...

We discuss the radical idea that dissidence belongs to all of us. Living with truth is the starting point to being a citizen changemaker and to taking impactful civic action. Gal's civic action toolkit recommendations are: 1) Be in person 2) Be deliberate about how you operate online Gal Beckerman is a staff writer for The Atlantic and the author of How to Be a Dissident. Let's connect! Follow Fut...

We discuss the vision of an everyone-a-changemaker society. Now is the moment to step up to protect healthy civil society in America by making the mechanisms and the rituals for participation in local politics more robust and more meaningful. Michael's civic action toolkit recommendations are: 1) Find a place to plug in at the local level 2) Go to a Civic Saturdays event near you Michael Zakaras i...

We discuss why Dr. Abdul El-Sayed is running for Senate in Michigan and what kind of Senator he aspires to be. A public health expert with deep understanding of the healthcare system, Dr. El-Sayed believes that Medicare for All can be a realistic future. Abdul's civic action toolkit recommendations are: 1) Have an in-person conversation with someone you disagree with 2) Find the thing that you sha...

We discuss the foundational lies of the Lost Cause, the organic nature of more recent lies, and the constant vigilance necessary to defend democracy. Ann's civic action toolkit recommendations are: 1) Pay attention to what your (or your children's) textbooks are saying 2) Speak up if there is a historical site near you that is being erased Ann Bausum is an award-winning historian and the author of...

We discuss the main goals of copaganda: narrowing our conception of safety and threat, constantly warning us that those harms are increasing, and telling us that the solution to our fears is more investment in the punishment bureaucracy. Alec's civic action toolkit recommendations are: 1) Educate yourself on how copaganda works 2) Read the Copaganda book in a group! Alec Karakatsanis is the founde...

We discuss the building blocks of the authoritarian playbook, the strategy behind intersectional solidarity, and the power of knowing your neighbor. Yelena & Tatyana's civic action toolkit recommendations are: 1) Go local! 2) Get to know your neighbors Yelena and Tatyana are co-founders of Stroika — an organization connecting and resourcing frontline anti-authoritarian movements worldwide. Let...

We discuss the strategy for electing from-the-gut economic populists who exude outsider vibes and who acknowledge that our system is broken. They are often outsiders who believe in issues such as protecting social security and taxing billionaires, which are super majoritarian issues. Outsiders can win in blue, purple, and red states. Adam's civic action toolkit recommendations are: 1) Join effecti...

We discuss the influence of the U.S.-China relationship on American democracy, on issues ranging from "garbage time" to soft power to geopolitical dominance of the South China Sea. Jane's civic action toolkit recommendations are: 1) Visit China! 2) Read To Change China by Jonathan Spence and/or Daughters of the Bamboo Grove by Barbara Demick Jane Perlez is a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, former...

We discuss the corrupting effect of the Citizens United decision on policymaking and elections. Tiffany's civic action toolkit recommendations are: Go to town halls and hold your elected officials accountable Participate in phone banking or write postcards to get out the vote Tiffany Muller is the President of End Citizens United, Let America Vote, and the End Citizens United/Let America Vote Acti...

We discuss the power of showing up for local politics and the benefits of running an in-person campaign without relying on social media. Carleigh's civic action toolkit recommendations are: Take an hour to attend a local government meeting Make a comment at that meeting! Carleigh Beriont is a union organizer, vice chair of the Hampton Select Board, and is running for Congress in New Hampshire's Fi...

We discuss the work of governors across several states to defend the rights of their residents. GovAct serves as an innovation hub for policies on democracy, public health, and reproductive rights. Julia's civic action toolkit recommendations are: Get involved in state races Bearing witness to Minneapolis and the brave people standing up for their neighbors Julia Spiegel is the President and CEO o...

We discuss the investments to foster civic participation on college campuses, voter behavior among young people, and getting ready for the midterms. Raj's civic action toolkit recommendations are: Develop your civic action muscle every week Role model what it looks like to work across difference Raj Vinnakota is President of the Institute for Citizens & Scholars , whose mission is to cultivate...

We discuss the concept of deliberative representative democracy by ordinary citizens, which means representing and being represented in turn. Hélène's civic action toolkit recommendations are: Listen and bring out the shy Share power Hélène Landemore is a political theorist and professor of political science at Yale University. Her latest book is Politics Without Politicians: The Case for Citizen...

We discuss grassroots organizing, voting rights for U.S. territories and First Nations, and the state of elections in Georgia. Anjali's civic action toolkit recommendations are: Organize at the local level Pick up your neighbor on your way to vote Anjali Enjeti is a poll worker, electoral organizer, activist, and novelist whose latest book is Ballot, a timely narrative about the fragile state of o...

We discuss how our everyday choices to resist, organize, and act collectively can stop authoritarian takeovers. Feeling powerless does not mean that we're actually powerless! Daniel's civic action toolkit recommendations are: Get non-cooperation training at https://freedomtrainers.net/ Be connected to other humans in a group Daniel Hunter is a seasoned organizer and the founder of Choose Democracy...