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by Richard McKnight (Author)
This book is written for the moderate 50-70% of Americans who are demoralized by the state of our country and feel inconsequential in our politics. They are the Exhausted Majority, a term coined by the Hidden Tribes research project. It describes what ails our country and how their lives improve when they join together with others to reclaim our democracy.
When We the People Lead, The Leaders Will Follow argues that America is not a nation divided into warring tribes but a country of exhausted, decent citizens who have slowly been separated from their power. Drawing on research, lived experience, and stories from communities across the country, the book shows how most Americans share common values-fairness, freedom, and a desire for a functioning democracy-yet feel overwhelmed, cynical, or sidelined.
Rather than surrender to polarization or despair, the book invites readers to reclaim the role of citizen. It explains how small groups can spark outsized change, how pluralism strengthens rather than weakens us, and how everyday people can rebuild trust, revitalize democratic norms, and shape the future from the ground up.
Clear, hopeful, and deeply practical, When We the People Lead offers a path from exhaustion to renewal-and a reminder that the power to save our democracy has always been in our hands.
