Engines of Liberty: How Citizen Movements Succeed

Description

Donald Trump's policies, from his travel ban to his approval of the Dakota Access Pipeline, have prompted an immediate response from concerned liberals. Yet what effect can protest truly have in the face of the awesome power of the executive branch? Do everyday citizens have a role in safeguarding our Constitution? Or must we rely on the federal courts, and the Supreme Court above all, to protect our dearly held rights? In Engines of Liberty, the esteemed legal scholar David Cole argues that we all have a part to play in the grand civic dramas of our era. Examining the most successful rights movements of the last 30 years, he reveals how groups of ordinary Americans have worked together to defend and expand our civil liberties. The lesson of the fight for marriage equality is the value of strategy of state-level activism. In the NRA's successful efforts to swing elections and influence state and federal law, we can see the power of groups that build loyal, active, and uncompromising memberships. The fight for human rights during the Iraq war illustrates how activist groups can encourage foreign populations and governments to challenge the president when our domestic institutions fail to. In a new Introduction written for the paperback edition, Cole urges us to view these past efforts as a blueprint for activism in our own era. From travel rights to protections for transgender students, and from voting rights to environmental issues, Engines of Liberty is an essential guidebook for concerned citizens seeking to defend the law of the land.

David Cole is the National Legal Director of the ACLU. Until December 2016, he was Hon. George J. Mitchell Professor in Law and Public Policy at Georgetown University Law Center. A regular contributor to the New York Review of Books and the legal affairs correspondent for The Nation, his work has also been published widely in the popular press and law journals, including the New York Times, Washington Post, The New Republic, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Wall Street Journal, and LA Times, among others. He received the inaugural Norman Dorsen Presidential Prize from the ACLU for lifetime commitment to civil liberties. He lives in Washington, DC.

One of Washington Post's Notable Nonfiction Books of 2016 Engines of Liberty is a masterful account of how civil society organizations work, and a passionate argument for why they are so important to our democracy. David Cole offers invaluable knowledge and insight about the potential each of us has to shape our nation's laws and public life. My hope is that Engines of Liberty inspires a new generation of activists to rise up and launch their own campaigns for civil liberties.--Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director, AmericanCivil Liberties Union [Cole's] narratives weave a compelling portrait of advocacy-driven constitutional change... the collection certainly stands apart from dense and dry legal texts in being readable, accessible and at times even gripping... a deeply hopeful book about an institution in which our hope may be dwindling.--Washington Post A convincingly argued book.--Dorf on Law A fresh and revelatory account of constitutional reform from the bottom up. The book carries a hopeful message: Despite the undue influence wielded by elite institutions, ordinary citizens can and do drive constitutional change...Cole's examples of constitutional reform, on both the left and the right, bear out his claims.--Nation A skilled human rights practitioner unveils a characteristically thoughtful, balanced anatomy of successful constitutional advocacy, which focuses less on winning court battles than on shaping the popular sentiments that critically drive or obstruct political change.--Harold Hongju Koh, Sterling Professor of International Law, Yale LawSchool Anyone who doubts the ability of Americans to change both policy and law should read David Cole's book. His analysis of how we go about protecting the rights of gun owners is the most accurate I have ever read. This is a must read. --David Keene, formerpresident of the NRA Cole's book is compelling, especially in today's climate of gridlock following the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.--Kirkus David Cole is one of our most astute and perceptive constitutional commentators. His work is indispensable. --Robert Post, Dean, Yale Law School In Engines of Liberty, David Cole turns constitutional law on its head. With his characteristic intelligence and clarity, Cole demonstrates that the law changes from the bottom up, not the top down, and that it is citizens, not judges, who are the ultimate custodians of our nation's laws. --Jeffrey Toobin, author of The Oath and TheNine In expertly demonstrating how ordinary people can make a huge difference on defining issues in our nation, David Cole has written an important, inspiring, and essential book!--Mary Bonauto, Civil Rights Project Director at Gay& Lesbian Advocates & Defenders No one is better than David Cole at explaining how Americans can fight for civil liberties and civil rights. He is passionate yet careful, accessible yet nuanced, Engines of Liberty wonderfully highlights his intellectual virtues.--Randall Kennedy, Michael R.Klein Professor at Harvard Law School and author of For Discrimination Transforms one's understanding of the contributions of other forums-state legislatures, for example, and public opinion (at home and abroad) -- in campaigns that eventually culminate in Supreme Court decisions.--New York Review of Books