The direction of change in the United States over the past 40-50 years has been decidedly in favor of wealthy individuals and corporate special-interest groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. These groups have influenced government to lower the cost of labor, to cut their contributions to our country, and to establish monopoly-like conditions for certain industries. For all practical purposes, the government of the United States no longer acts in the interests of the people of our country. Is the situation hopeless? No. But the game has tilted heavily in favor of money and corporate interests. How do we shift the direction of change in the face of this tremendous money disadvantage? The answer, I believe, lies in our strengths: our numbers, our values, and our story. Trying to do it all at once, however, can appear daunting and even overwhelming. The question I hear most often is: What can I do? This book focuses on this very basic question. It examines our options and describes several simple and practical steps that, if taken by enough people, create a system for change---a way to make the seemingly impossible task of restoring democracy possible.
