Learn the system. Challenge apathy. Take part.
Danielle Allen – Our Declaration
A powerful re-reading of the Declaration of Independence, showing how it links liberty and equality.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18527739-our-declaration
Eric Liu – You’re More Powerful Than You Think
A practical guide to civic power—how it works, who holds it, and how to reclaim it.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30653740-you-re-more-powerful-than-you-think
David Orr – Democracy Unchained (ed.)
A collection of essays by leading thinkers on restoring democratic integrity.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52460271-democracy-unchained
Heather Cox Richardson – How the South Won the Civil War
A historical unpacking of how anti-democratic forces persist in modern politics.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50706492-how-the-south-won-the-civil-war
Frances Moore Lappé – Daring Democracy
A hopeful roadmap to reclaim democracy from corporate control and voter suppression.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34387530-daring-democracy
Robert Putnam – Bowling Alone
The definitive work on the decline of civic life and how to rebuild community engagement.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25654.Bowling_Alone
David Foster Wallace – This is Water
Not about politics per se—but about choosing awareness over autopilot. Essential civic mindset.
Watch
Brené Brown – The Power of Vulnerability
A TED talk that speaks to courage and empathy—keys to healthy civic discourse.
https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_the_power_of_vulnerability
Civic Classics – We the People Stories (National Constitution Center)
Short, animated explainer videos on the Preamble, Constitution, and civic values.
https://constitutioncenter.org/learn/educational-resources/we-the-people-stories
iCivics
Interactive games and curriculum to teach civic life—designed by Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.
https://www.icivics.org
BallotReady
Comprehensive guide to local ballots, down-ballot races, and candidate positions.
https://www.ballotready.org
Vote.org
Register, check your status, request mail-in ballots. Nonpartisan.
https://www.vote.org
Braver Angels
Workshops and forums for respectful political dialogue across divides.
https://www.braverangels.org
Civic Season – National Archives & Smithsonian
Summer programming and digital resources for civic engagement, especially for Gen Z.
https://thecivicseason.com
USAFacts – Civic Data Platform
Nonpartisan, source-based breakdown of how government actually functions and spends.
https://www.usafacts.org
Barack Obama – A More Perfect Union (speech)
Text and video
Frederick Douglass – What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?
A challenge to American hypocrisy that remains deeply relevant.
Read
Abraham Lincoln – Second Inaugural Address
“[With malice toward none…]” – a call to responsibility and repair after division.
Read
We inherited a mission—not a finished product.
The Preamble laid out the work: justice, peace, defense, shared well-being, liberty—for all.
The Constitution is the tool to pursue that mission.
But tools only matter if we know what they’re for—and are willing to use them.
That’s where we come in. Thinking isn’t extra—it’s the engine.
We do better when we think. That’s the deal.