Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America

In Part 1, Richardson discusses Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal, which is an origin point for the establishment of the liberal consensus in the United States. What standards, laws, and ideas did the New Deal establish that still affect American life and politics today?

Richardson discusses the differences between democracy at America’s founding and democracy today, especially regarding the rights of women, the poor, and non-white people. Write an essay detailing the main differences between the Founders’ democracy and the 21st-century United States democracy. Has anything stayed the same?

Richardson discusses how some political figures have used rhetoric that separates Americans into “good” and “bad” categories. How does rhetoric influence American ideology and governmental policy? What is the ultimate effect of this rhetoric?

In Part 1, Richardson sets up several authoritarian trends in the history of American democracy that resurface during Donald Trump’s presidency. Trace one of these threads from its origins as Richardson identifies it in Part 1 to its iteration in the Trump presidency. In what ways is it the same, and in what ways is it different? Does it contribute to, to use Richardson’s words, Trump’s “authoritarian experiment”?

In Part 2, Richardson describes Trump’s “authoritarian experiment” at length. Locate a separate resource that defines authoritarianism and its common hallmarks and tendencies, such as Protect Democracy’s The Authoritarian Playbook. Using Richardson’s descriptions of the Trump presidency, how closely does this period in American history reflect authoritarianism?

Richardson covers a wide swath of American history, stretching from the American Revolution to 2020. As far as democracy is concerned, which three events do you think are most important during this period? Explain these events in detail using Richardson’s book (and outside research if desired). What happened? How did these events change American democracy in the short term, and what was their legacy?

In Part 3, Richardson identifies many women, economically disadvantaged folks and labor organizers, and people of color who have worked to defend American democracy. Choose one of these figures to research. Using Richardson’s book and your research, write an essay on this figure, considering their values and the events that shaped their life. How did they work to uphold American democracy?

Richardson ends her book by saying that the fate of democracy is in “our hands”: She wants people to know they have power about whether the country moves toward democracy or authoritarianism. After reading this book, write an essay about what you think are the best strategies you and/or your peers can take to uphold democratic ideals in American society.