Saving Democracy : A Plan for Real Representation in America

"America needs this book. These imaginative yet practicable reforms are designed to bring citizens back to their own politics and inspire them to work together for the common good." -- Jane Mansbridge "Kevin OLeary has written a wonderful book. His topic is American democracy; his goal is to improve it. And he has some ideas-original, imaginative, and sensible-about how to achieve this ambitious aim. The proposed reforms would make our democracy more participatory, more deliberative, and better equipped to solve large national problems. That is an attractive package, and OLeary presents it with engaging prose and forceful argument. Read this book, and act on it." -- Joshua Cohen "There is nothing wrong with American democracy that a return to majority rule couldnt cure. Kevin OLeary has a bold but realistic vision of how the restoration of real democracy could happen." -- Jack Miles * author of God: A Biography * "The great, ugly truth about American politics today is that, even as we champion democracy abroad, few Americans have any hope of influencing their government at home. A growing number of bold thinkers and activists now insist we can do better, none more constructively than Kevin O'Leary." -Rogers Smith, University of Pennsylvania "Saving Democracy is a refreshing, exhilarating read. Steeped in knowledge of the American political system, O'Leary draws on Hume, Harrington, Jefferson, and others to craft a case for republicanizing the national system so as to advance citizen participation. This would add a new structural feature to the basic Madisonian design. O'Leary's ideas are, to say the least, provocative." -- David Mayhew * Yale University * "A thought-provoking book that will find a home in academic political science collections." -- Library Journal "Saving Democracy is provocative and significant. It does a splendid job of connecting democratic political theory to problems of practical politics. O'Leary makes shrewd and sophisticated use of American political thought and contemporary political science. His unique proposals should spark great discussion." -- John J. Pitney, Jr. * Claremont McKenna College * "A provocative look at our current state of political apathy and what can be done about it. These proposals would empower the deliberations of ordinary citizens without surrendering the important features of our Constitution and our representative political system. Anyone who knows the dangers of direct democracy but who still wants to engage citizens in political decision-making should read this book." -- Kevin Mattson * Ohio University * "Every so often the fundamentals of American democracy require seriousre-examination. Kevin O'Leary's Saving Democracy is a stimulating and original proposal to make political deliberation far more inclusive and representative than it is today." -- James Fallows * The Atlantic Monthly *