Democracy in Retrograde - How to Make Changes Big and Small in Our Country and in Our Lives

By: Sami Sage, Emily Amick

Published by Gallery Books, 2026-04-28

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

A whip-smart combo of self-help and political manifesto that is perfect for anyone who wants to know how to save democracy but doesn’t know where to start.

In America’s current political climate, it’s hard not to get discouraged. Isolated, doom scrolling, lacking a sense of purpose or community...it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the dire state of two-party system and do nothing, because why try when the odds are never in our favor?

At this fragile moment in history, Emily Amick, lawyer and former counsel to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, alongside New York Times bestselling author and Betches Media cofounder Sami Sage, want to reframe civic engagement as a form of self-care: an assertion of one’s values and self-respect. This book is not just about voting, but about claiming your singular place in your country and community.

Including real stories of regular people who have made a difference along with helpful exercises and quizzes, Democracy in Retrograde is a choose-your-own-adventure map to civic engagement that will help you:

*Define your values and passions
*Understand how the system works, so it’s easier to know how to change it
*Match your personality, skills, resources, and interests, to meaningful actions within your community
*Implement changes (big and small) that matter
*Build a civic life that’s sustainable and authentic to you, whether you have only a few minutes to spare or are ready to make a lifetime commitment

Democracy in Retrograde will help you learn about much more than just political action. This book will provide a new lens through which to see yourself: a new and powerful light which bridges the personal and the political. In the words of Joan Baez, action is the antidote to despair, and with this helpful guide, even if Mercury is in retrograde, our democracy doesn’t have to be.