jennifermreads 's review for:

A Return to Common Sense: How to Fix America Before We Really Blow It by Leigh McGowan

4.5

challenging informative medium-paced

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After watching many of her PoliticsGirl podcast episodes, I was excited to get a civics refresher course from a woman who chose to be American, does a deep dive into research, and clearly explains what is broken in America. As I read, my blood boiled. I had to put the book down and walk away. I had to breathe deeply. Many times, I wanted to cry. A Return to Common Sense< published during the Harris/Trump presidential election. Reading it in June/July 2025, with *him* back in office, I cannot help but think “If this had been required reading, would the votes have swung the other way?” Sadly, probably not. After all, one of the pieces that McGowan discusses as “broken” is the Electoral College—and the explanation of how *he* won without the popular vote was meticulous. 

I would have liked more specific “you can do X” action items. Yes, I can (and do) vote. But what else can be done to reform the Supreme Court, overhaul (or eliminate) the Electoral College, secure our voting rights, and hold our representatives accountable. Yes, all those things can be accomplished by voting—and voting out those who are not doing their jobs—but there must be more to do when the person I voted for is not the one in office.