Politics Is for Power: How to Move Beyond Political Hobbyism, Take Action, and Make Real ChangeA brilliant condemnation of political hobbyism—treating politics like entertainment—and a call to arms for well-meaning, well-informed citizens who consume political news, but do not take political action. Who is to blame for our broken politics? The uncomfortable answer to this question starts with ordinary citizens with good intentions. We vote (sometimes) and occasionally sign a petition or attend a rally. But we mainly “engage” by consuming politics as if it’s a sport or a hobby. We soak in daily political gossip and eat up statistics about who’s up and who’s down. We tweet and post and share. We crave outrage. The hours we spend on politics are used mainly as pastime. Instead, we should be spending the same number of hours building political organizations, implementing a long-term vision for our city or town, and getting to know our neighbors, whose votes will be needed for solving hard problems. We could be accumulating power so that when there are opportunities to make a difference—to lobby, to advocate, to mobilize—we will be ready. But most of us who are spending time on politics today are focused inward, choosing roles and activities designed for our short-term pleasure. We are repelled by the slow-and-steady activities that characterize service to the common good. In Politics Is for Power, pioneering and brilliant data analyst Eitan Hersh shows us a way toward more effective political participation. Aided by political theory, history, cutting-edge social science, as well as remarkable stories of ordinary citizens who got off their couches and took political power seriously, this book shows us how to channel our energy away from political hobbyism and toward empowering our values. |
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - AstonishingChristina - LibraryThingHersh is a political scientist. His thesis is that politics as now practiced in the United States is mostly a hobby for the educated urban classes, rather than a way to accrue enough power to make ... Read full review
Politics Is for Power: How to Move Beyond Political Hobbyism, Take Action, and Make Real Change
User Review - Publishers WeeklyTufts University political science professor Hersh argues in this earnest yet somewhat mislabeled debut that “political hobbyism,” the practice of obsessively consuming political news without engaging ... Read full review
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
PART I | 13 |
Staten Island Staten Island Take Me In | 20 |
Rooting for the Team | 29 |
Precinct 206 | 37 |
Voting or Not | 46 |
Like Share Click | 59 |
Selfish Donor Selfie Donor | 74 |
PART III | 107 |
Outrage and Compromise | 117 |
Bringing Out the Worst in Us | 127 |
Gateway Slacktivism | 134 |
PART IV | 145 |
Rage Against the Machine | 160 |
The Verbalist Elite | 170 |
Fear and Fate | 182 |
PART II | 85 |
Whose Hobby? | 94 |
Politically Spiritual but Not Religious | 101 |
PART V | 197 |
ToDo Lists | 210 |
Other editions - View all
Politics Is for Power: How to Move Beyond Political Hobbyism, Take Action ... Eitan Hersh Limited preview - 2020 |
Politics Is for Power: How to Move Beyond Political Hobbyism, Take Action ... Eitan Hersh Limited preview - 2020 |
Common terms and phrases
action activists activity affect American Angela asked attend building called campaign candidates canvassing CHAPTER citizens civic committee Congress convention Dave Democratic Democratic Party don’t donors door Drew election engagement feel follow friends give going hard hobby hobbyism House idea important interest involved issues kind leaders learned leisure less liberal Lisa lives look meeting motivations Naakh neighborhood neighbors organizations participate partisan party percent person Polarization political political party politicians precinct President presidential primaries protest reform Republican Research respondents Senate serve share side social social media spend started story survey talk tells thing thought tion told town Trump University Press values views volunteers vote voters watching York