Giving Up Is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping a Democracy

Vance, a former U.S. Attorney and author of the Civil Discourse newsletter, debuts with a forceful call for America’s civil institutions to be bolstered to resist, and eventually leave behind, Trumpism. The most important element of the fight, she argues, is defending the rule of law (i.e., the principle that even the president is accountable to the law) against “would-be dictator” Trump, who in his second term is explicitly attempting to undermine the legal system. (Such efforts on the part of the Trump administration include both “outright refusal to comply with a court’s decision” and “delegitimizing” judges who rule against the administration’s new policies.) Vance gives a useful and accessible account of how the rule of law has been created, debated, and challenged in the U.S. for centuries, from the Federalist Papers to the civil rights movement. Her advice can feel a little obvious, urging readers to protect the right to vote and not “permit the public discourse to be framed” in a way advantageous to Trump’s agenda (such as saying negative things about public sector workers). Still, there’s an edifying quality to such blunt resistance talk. Readers in need of a morale boost will want to check this out. (Oct.)