Tag: politics
-
Reclaiming Our Political Power
The Apocalyptic Optimist Podcast is BACK! Over the years, my research has explored many aspects of how we can build lasting and effective political power and civic capacity. In fact, I’ve written three books specifically about this subject: In all of these books, along with much of my empirical research, the value of building lasting…
-
Could Redistricting Efforts Energize the Pro-Democracy Movement?
Whenever I speak about civic and political engagement in America, I always start by discussing the most common way that Americans participate in our democracy: voting. Even though many people choose not to vote, it is still one of the most common forms of engagement and an act that most people do at least once…
-
How to Expand Resistance and Build Solidarity?
As Trump’s second term continues (we are currently only 1 year and 4 months into his 4-year term), we are seeing continued resistance to the administration and its policies. There have been a series of days of action that have turned out millions of Americans to march and chant in peaceful protest (most recently in…
-
Americans Flex their Economic Muscles at May Day Strong
Yesterday, on May 1st, a broad coalition of progressive groups and unions participated in May Day Strong to show their strength “with many refusing business as usual through No School. No Work. No Shopping.” Working with the organizing coalition, my team surveyed hosts who were coordinating events and participants who registered to participate through a…
-
How to Build Power through a General Strike
This coming Friday, the May Day Strong coalition (which includes over two hundred progressive groups and unions) is calling for “workers, students, and families [to] rally, march, and take action across the country to demand a nation that puts workers over billionaires, with many refusing business as usual through No School. No Work. No Shopping.”…
-
Are We Expecting Too Much of No Kings 3?
Obsessing over magic numbers won’t save us; we have to save ourselves. Next weekend–on March 28th–the third No Kings Day will take place across the US. Organizers have been sharing this amazing map of the more-than-3000 planned events that have been scheduled for the day (the image below is from their website on 3/19). Like…
-
Why Targeting Activists Will Backfire
As I mentioned in my last installment, the federal government has been increasing its surveillance of activist groups that focus on immigration and more. There are numerous accounts of the Trump Administration working to limit the rights of Americans to assemble and observe federal agents in order to document their actions, or what I call…
-
Introducing the Apocalyptic Optimist Podcast:
Real talk about what’s broken and how to fix it. The Apocalyptic Optimist Podcast is LIVE! In the first episode, I speak with Rachel Carmona and Tamika Middleton from Women’s March about the Free America Walkout and what’s next for Resistance 2.0. For details on how to watch or listen to the conversation, go here.…
-
Resistance 2.0 Pushes Back
This weekend, I published a piece in The Guardian that discusses how activists participating in the Resistance to the second Trump Administration are getting more confrontational. In it, I discuss data collected from participants in the Free America Walkout on January 20th that shows how Resisters (yes, most participants in the walkout continued the trend…
Dana R Fisher 