Since its founding, activists have demanded that the U.S. live up to its democratic promise. Now, with Rules of Activism, Charles Euchner offers a concise “field guide” to the critical place of political and social movements in American politics.
Activists have always been at the center of democratic reform in America: abolitionism and suffragism, labor and urban reform, civil rights and antiwar protest, feminism and environmentalism. Activists have agitated and confronted authorities to promote basic rights, economic opportunity, and community wellbeing.
In this short but comprehensive guide, Euchner describes 15 core rules of successful movements. To describe each rule, Euchner offers compelling case studies of activists at work and then examines the rule’s underlying logic. Euchner explores every aspect of activism: recruitment, training, organizational development, leadership, strategy, tactics, and the pivot from protest to policy.
In a world of growing inequality and existential crises, activist politics has never been more important. Rules of Activism offers a necessary guide for practitioners, scholars and students, and ordinary citizens seeking to understand this core political practice.
Activists have always been at the center of democratic reform in America: abolitionism and suffragism, labor and urban reform, civil rights and antiwar protest, feminism and environmentalism. Activists have agitated and confronted authorities to promote basic rights, economic opportunity, and community wellbeing.
In this short but comprehensive guide, Euchner describes 15 core rules of successful movements. To describe each rule, Euchner offers compelling case studies of activists at work and then examines the rule’s underlying logic. Euchner explores every aspect of activism: recruitment, training, organizational development, leadership, strategy, tactics, and the pivot from protest to policy.
In a world of growing inequality and existential crises, activist politics has never been more important. Rules of Activism offers a necessary guide for practitioners, scholars and students, and ordinary citizens seeking to understand this core political practice.
Table of Contents
Introduction: ‘This is What Democracy Looks Like’Part I: Insight and Outreach
Rule 1: Connect, Listen, and Share
Rule 2: Identify Gaps and Contradictions
Rule 3: Master the Big Idea
Rule 4: Map the Sources of Problems
Part II: Building Capacity
Rule 5: Recruit Allies, Near and Far
Rule 6: Build a Strong Organization
Rule 7: Nurture Servant Leadership
Part III: Strategy and Tactics
Rule 8: Create a Multi-Dimensional Strategy
Rule 9: Work Off the Grid
Rule 10: Rally for Solidarity and Attention
Rule 11: Withdraw Consent
Rule 12: Block, Occupy, and Subvert
Rule 13: Create Enduring Symbols and Identity
Part IV: Win Some, Lose Some
Rule 14: Evolve Multi-Stage Campaigns
Rule 15: Pivot from Protest to Policy
Postscript: Activism and Democracy
