Is This the America You Want? How to Harness Citizen Power

Join Eric Liu, author of You're More Powerful than You Think in conversation with New America president and CEO Anne-Marie Slaughter about how recent events have enabled citizens to make lasting change.

The 2016 presidential election showed the political elite that large swaths of the American public felt disenfranchised, marginalized, and silenced by career politicians and the “establishment.” They demanded their voices be heard, by voting for the outsider, underdog candidate who didn’t subscribe to political norms. 

But even before the 2016 election, groups like the Tea Party, Black Lives Matter, and Occupy Wall street proved that with the right messaging and organization, their voices could reach a nationwide audience and affect the kind of change comparable to the 60s anti-war movement. These grassroots organizations have created new models for how everyday people can enact significant political change. 

In Liu’s book, You’re More Powerful Than You Think: A Citizen’s Guide to Making Change Happen, the message is clear: Fighting to be heard is not only possible, it’s downright American. But what kind of power is actually available to citizens? How can ordinary Americans harness their abilities to create change that will make their lives better? This is what Liu’s book explores. 

Liu is the founder and CEO of Citizen University, a non-profit citizen organization in Seattle, WA and is the executive director of the Aspen Institute Citizenship and American Identity Program. He is also the author of "A Chinaman's Chance," "The Gardens of Democracy," and "The Accidental Asian." 

Books available for purchase by credit card or check. 

Follow along the conversation by using hashtag #CitizenPower 

Speaker 

Eric Liu @ericpliu
Author, You're More Powerful than You Think: A Citizen’s Guide to Making Change Happen 

Moderator 

Anne-Marie Slaughter @SlaughterAM
President and CEO, New America