Take Action: The Citizen's Guide

Jennifer Hoelzer

Sterling, 2018

Agent: Jill Marr

Empower yourself, find your strongest voice, and become part of the solution.
We complain that our voices and votes don’t matter. We blame lobbyists and special-interest groups, and we point fingers at career politicians. But these excuses don’t solve problems. Our government is accountable to the people, so we must take direct, personal responsibility for it. Drawing from her decade as a top Capitol Hill staffer, Jennifer Hoelzer explains clearly and concisely how our government really works. Find out

  • Why elected officials won’t tell us what we don’t want to hear
  • What lobbyists really do
  • How the conversation about money in politics is making the problem worse
  • What members of Congress do during recesses
  • How our misperceptions lead to bad policies and missed opportunities

Then put that knowledge into action and overcome the tyranny of cynicism by learning how to:

  • Differentiate real news from spin
  • See yourself as a special interest
  • Use “carrots” to get an official’s attention
  • Make an appointment with your representative’s office
  • Develop messages that effect change
  • Make strategically focused requests
  • Protest most effectively
  • Adapt advocacy and attention-grabbing strategies to your changing needs

Take Action gives you all the tools you need to make your voice heard and stand up for democracy.