10 Steps to Repair American Democracy

Steven Hill has outlined, succinctly and clearly, a roadmap for reinvigorating American Democracy. For those of us sick of special interests and bought off politicians running our government, and for those seeking to ensure a government of, by, and for the people, Hill's book could not be more welcome. This book is lively and engaging, and a must-read for those of us seeking reform and clean government!

If you are concerned about the future of our democracy, I would say this book is a can't miss... Hill has masterminded an insightfully succinct "how-to" guide. For the sake of our country, I hope this one makes it to the best sellers list...

This book is a necessary addition to anyone seeking to make American democracy what it should be -- and what it must be if it is to survive well into the 21st century, as it's no longer optional to advance these reforms. "Repair" isn't quite the right word. Hill wants to bring American democracy to a better place than it's ever been with proposals that are at once both "common sense" and "revolutionary." That combination of words shows Hill's role in the electoral reform world (in tandem with a few innovative groups like FairVote and Hill's New America Foundation) -- a Tom Paine who boldly is willing to learn from international examples, apply those lessons to our nation with an American twist and go beyond the tepid proposals so typically espoused by our political and civic leaders. Here's a guarantee, one the publisher almost could say "or your money back": you will learn about at least one reform or reform strategy that you will be shocked that you didn't already know about. Be prepared to go through at least a few weeks (and probably years) of wanting to tell all your friends about how they can do to make our democracy work better, starting in your own community.

This book gave me great hope. With all the alarming politics occurring in the US today, the many ways that democracy is failing and civil liberties are threatened, it becomes difficult to keep track of it all. I sometimes feel like I have to subscribe to ten magazines, four newspapers and watch all the news shows to make any sense out of it. So it was with great relief that I read Steven Hill's new book, which first and foremost is a concise summary of the many ways American democracy is failing. But to my delight he also offers concrete solutions, with a summary of those solutions at the end of each "step"/chapter, as well as organizations to contact who are working on that specific solution. I finished reading his book feeling not only clearer on the problems, but the solutions as well. Tremendously empowering. If you are concerned about the state of democracy, pick up this wonderfully short and concise tonic for the times.

I have become cynical about American democracy, but this book opened my eyes more than most books. The author has a knack for explaining things simply and clearly, which I find helpful because to me American democracy has become such a puzzle. Washington, DC is like a Hall of Mirrors, very hard to figure out. After reading this book, I understand better why that is, it put into place a lot of disparate observations I have and helped me to see the bigger picture, see how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together. And I'm so glad that he provided solutions, I get so tired of books that tell us what's wrong but never tell us how to fix the problems. For me, "10 Steps to Repair American Democracy" was a quick and easy read, and greatly illuminating.