They Don't Represent Us
Reclaiming Our Democracy
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Narrated by:
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Lawrence Lessig
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By:
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Lawrence Lessig
About this listen
“This urgent book offers not only a clear-eyed explanation of the forces that broke our politics, but a thoughtful and, yes, patriotic vision of how we create a government that’s truly by and for the people.” (DAVID DALEY, best-selling author of Ratf**ked and Unrigged)
In the vein of On Tyranny and How Democracies Die, the best-selling author of Republic, Lost argues with insight and urgency that our democracy no longer represents us and shows that reform is both necessary and possible.
America’s democracy is in crisis. Along many dimensions, a single flaw - unrepresentativeness - has detached our government from the people. And as a people, our fractured partisanship and ignorance on critical issues drive our leaders to stake out ever more extreme positions.
In They Don’t Represent Us, Harvard law professor Lawrence Lessig charts the way in which the fundamental institutions of our democracy, including our media, respond to narrow interests rather than to the needs and wishes of the nation’s citizenry. But the blame does not only lie with “them” - Washington’s politicians and power brokers, Lessig argues. The problem is also “us.” “We the people” are increasingly uninformed about the issues, while ubiquitous political polling exacerbates the problem, reflecting and normalizing our ignorance and feeding it back into the system as representative of our will.
What we need, Lessig contends, is a series of reforms, from governmental institutions to the public itself, including:
- A move immediately to public campaign funding, leading to more representative candidates
- A reformed Electoral College, that gives the President a reason to represent America as a whole
- A federal standard to end partisan gerrymandering in the states
- A radically reformed Senate
- A federal penalty on states that don’t secure to their people an equal freedom to vote
- Institutions that empower the people to speak in an informed and deliberative way
A soul-searching and incisive examination of our failing political culture, this nonpartisan call to arms speaks to every citizen, offering a far-reaching platform for reform that could save our democracy and make it work for all of us.
Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2019 Lawrence Lessig (P)2019 HarperAudioListeners also enjoyed...
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By: Nancy L. Rosenblum, and others
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The Stakes
- America at the Point of No Return
- By: Michael Anton
- Narrated by: Dan Crue
- Length: 16 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Two months before the 2016 presidential election, an anonymously published essay titled "The Flight 93 Election" rallied conservatives to charge the cockpit by voting for Trump. Michael Anton, the author of that controversial viral essay, now says that the last few years have only served to prove his Flight 93 thesis: The left has become more aggressive, more vindictive, and more dangerous - and the stakes have never been higher.
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America, this is your future
- By Sarah Carnello on 09-28-20
By: Michael Anton
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The Hidden History of the Supreme Court and the Betrayal of America
- The Thom Hartmann Hidden History Series
- By: Thom Hartmann
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 4 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Taking his typically in-depth, historically informed view, Thom Hartmann asks: What if the Supreme Court didn't have the power to strike down laws? According to the Constitution, it doesn't. From the founding of the republic until 1803, the Supreme Court was the final court of appeals, as it was always meant to be. So where did the concept of judicial review start? As so much of modern American history, it began with the battle between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists, and with Marbury v. Madison.
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A must read to understand why voting is essential.
- By Brandon WIlliams on 10-05-19
By: Thom Hartmann
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The Impostors
- How Republicans Quit Governing and Seized American Politics
- By: Steve Benen
- Narrated by: Ron Butler
- Length: 11 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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The award-winning producer of The Rachel Maddow Show exposes the Republican Party as a gang of impostors, meticulously documenting how they have abandoned their duty to govern and are gravely endangering America.
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Three Card Monte Politics
- By J.B. on 06-19-20
By: Steve Benen
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Power Grab
- The Liberal Scheme to Undermine Trump, the GOP, and Our Republic
- By: Jason Chaffetz
- Narrated by: Jason Chaffetz
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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In Power Grab, Chaffetz pulls back the curtain on the world of hypocrisy, political intrigue, and procedural malfeasance that is Washington, DC. With stories you won't hear anywhere else, he shows how the left weaves false narratives, drums up investigations in search of a crime, and refuses to direct congressional oversight towards its appropriate target: the government. Democrats weaponize nonprofit advocacy groups and monetize partisan anger to line the pockets of their political allies.
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Power Grab
- By Margaret on 10-01-19
By: Jason Chaffetz
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Why the Right Went Wrong
- Conservatism from Goldwater to the Tea Party and Beyond
- By: E. J. Dionne Jr.
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 20 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Why the Right Went Wrong offers a historical view of the right since the 1960s. Its core contention is that American conservatism and the Republican Party took a wrong turn when they adopted Barry Goldwater's worldview during and after the 1964 campaign. Since 1968, no conservative administration could live up to the rhetoric rooted in the Goldwater movement that began to reshape American politics 50 years ago.
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Outstanding, refreshing, inspiring
- By James Adams on 03-19-16
By: E. J. Dionne Jr.
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The Myth of the Rational Voter
- Why Democracies Choose Bad Policies
- By: Bryan Caplan
- Narrated by: David Drummond
- Length: 8 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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The greatest obstacle to sound economic policy is not entrenched special interests or rampant lobbying, but the popular misconceptions, irrational beliefs, and personal biases held by ordinary voters. This is economist Bryan Caplan's sobering assessment in this provocative and eye-opening book.
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Refreshing
- By Lyle Wincentsen on 05-12-11
By: Bryan Caplan
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The Party Is Over
- How Republicans Went Crazy, Democrats Became Useless, and the Middle Class Got Shafted
- By: Mike Lofgren
- Narrated by: Mel Foster
- Length: 7 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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There was a time, not so very long ago, when perfectly rational people ran the Republican Party. So how did the party of Lincoln become the party of lunatics? That is what this book aims to answer. Fear not, the Dems come in for their share of tough talk - they are zombies, a party of the living dead. Mike Lofgren came to Washington in the early eighties - those halcyon, post-Nixonian glory days - for what he imagined would be a short stint on Capitol Hill.
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A Great Analysis
- By Dan D on 09-04-12
By: Mike Lofgren
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The Democracy Project
- A History, a Crisis, a Movement
- By: David Graeber
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Democracy has been the American religion since before the Revolution - from New England town halls to the multicultural democracy of Atlantic pirate ships. But can our current political system, one that seems responsive only to the wealthiest among us and leaves most Americans feeling disengaged, voiceless, and disenfranchised, really be called democratic? And if the tools of our democracy are not working to solve the rising crises we face, how can we - average citizens - make change happen? David Graeber, one of the most influential scholars and activists of his generation, takes listeners on a journey through the idea of democracy.
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Must-read: such insight, an awakening!
- By Kevin on 10-15-14
By: David Graeber
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The Conscience of a Liberal
- By: Paul Krugman
- Narrated by: Jason Culp
- Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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America emerged from Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal with strong democratic values and broadly shared prosperity. But for the past 30 years, American politics has been dominated by a conservative movement determined to undermine the New Deal's achievements. Now, the tide may be turning, and in The Conscience of a Liberal Paul Krugman, the world's most widely read economist and one of its most influential political commentators, charts the way to reform.
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Great Book!!!
- By carl801 on 12-04-07
By: Paul Krugman
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Our Divided Political Heart
- The Battle for the American Idea in an Age of Discontent
- By: E. J. Dionne
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Length: 11 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Our Divided Political Heart will be the must-listen book of the 2012 election campaign. Offering an incisive analysis of how hyper-individualism is poisoning the nation's political atmosphere, E. J. Dionne Jr., argues that Americans can't agree on who we are because we can't agree on who we've been, or what it is, philosophically and spiritually, that makes us Americans.
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Good points and lots of good information
- By Jamie B on 08-15-12
By: E. J. Dionne
What listeners say about They Don't Represent Us
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Mike Liveright
- 04-30-23
Good presentation of lessig’s ideas, which I agree with.
What does leaves in our Craig representative moccasin wires, Citizen, action representative, action, legal action and young watch sure that there is a propagation of power. From each American citizen through the legislative executive judicial system which is supposed to represent. He proposes various ways or do use changes to be made, and I agree.
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- Christopher W Catron
- 03-22-20
All Americans should read/listen to this.
Whether you have far right or far left political view or somewhere in the middle. We are all mis-represented with the US political system.
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1 person found this helpful
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- craig romney
- 01-11-20
a guide to the perplexed.
a detailed analysis of the many obstacles that prevent us from achieving a truly representative government.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Rob S.
- 12-15-20
A Powerful Call To Action
In clear, compelling terms, Professor Lessig explains what ails our republic and how we can not only keep it but make it better than ever before.
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- Traci E. Johnson
- 12-03-22
Answers here
This fellow is FOR America that includes all people. A country run by and for the people. It can happen one person at a time OR faster when we share this information.
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- Anonymous User
- 06-25-20
Best of its genre.
I rarely write reviews, but I’m compelled to let as many as I can know that this book by a first-class mind is sure to enlighten anyone concerned about the state of America’s ability to govern itself. The book is nuanced, fair, and deeply insightful. Lessig outlines what is causing the lack of representation at the federal level, and what could be done about it. I don’t usually agree with everything a non-fiction author has to say (the last time was E.O. Wilson’s Consilience), but I did here—even when it didn’t entirely comport with what my tribe might like. I learned an awful lot from Lessig. He’s a great teacher and reads the book himself. Don’t pass up a golden opportunity to expand your understanding of an important topic in the most pleasant way.
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- Placeholder
- 10-26-20
good book, mixed bag
this is a good book and many of its reforms should be considered.
in some ways this book seems hyperfocused and in some ways it seems a little stretched. I appreciated the critique of polls as not representing who we are at our best, and how They should be supplemented by deliberative polls and sortitioned citizen assemblies.
this author makes clear they partisan position, but works very hard to be fair to the other side and propose a myriad of solutions that would strike reform balance.
they speak namely with ideals of (small r) republicanism, and mischaracterize how representative republics before our own ever were. Rome being a prime example, only the few were citizens when the masses were slaves. I appreciate the attempt to reconcile the intentions of various framers of our constitution and those people who framed its various amendments.
sometimes, their ideals of small r republicanism can read as elitist, but they counter that notion with the principle of one person one vote, and present many complex solutions to bridge that divide. nearing the end, they do begin to challenge how political elites unfairly treat voters and citizens as uninformed.
I'm not sure the parts of this book that focus on social media feel coherent with the rest of the narrative, but the points made are valuable nonetheless. it does however make this book feel very 2019, from hindsight up here in 2020.
this is a good book and many of its reforms should be considered.
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