A spirited, very readable call to get back to basics—civility, critical thinking, and all that stuff we keep saying we miss. It’s earnest and smart, and the tone is refreshingly no-BS. Occasionally feels like a Twitter thread in book form, but that’s part of its energy.

I have followed Leigh McGowan (also known as Politics Girl on social media) on X and Instagram and have always appreciated her videos explaining important points of various political debates and ideas, giving facts and historical references to educate and inspire many of us who have questions or uncertainties about what is happening in our country. I highly recommend this book about American politics, A Return to Common Sense: How to Fix America Before We Really Blow It. The book starts by providing a helpful review of our country’s system of government—founding principles and history, along with our present state of divisiveness and potential ideas that could bring our country back into more balance and unity. A quick but fascinating read that provided me with some hope for our country’s future.

𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐱𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞. 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐈 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞—𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 (“𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝟏𝟎𝟏”) 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲’𝐬 𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞—𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫. 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫: 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐋𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐌𝐜𝐆𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 (𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐈 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞). 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐭, 𝐲𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝’𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐟 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬, 𝐛𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬 (𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬) 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲.

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭, 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐌𝐜𝐆𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚’𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 “𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝟏𝟎𝟏” 𝐨𝐫 “𝐂𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝟏𝟎𝟏” 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐛𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞—𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐮𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝’𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐢𝐚𝐬.

𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝐿𝑒𝒾𝑔𝒽 𝑀𝒸𝒢𝑜𝓌𝒶𝓃, 𝒜𝓉𝓇𝒾𝒶, & 𝒩𝑒𝓉𝒢𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝑅𝒞! 𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝓅𝒾𝓃𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝑜𝓌𝓃.

A Return to Common Sense: How to Fix America Before We Really Blow It by Leigh McGowan (Politics Girl) is a basic guide to how our country works. It's a Civics 101 class that will tell you exactly what the vice president's job description is along with all other facets of the government. McGowan addresses such problems as the electoral college, gerrymandering, the filibuster, and the Supreme Court. It is a very timely book that everyone needs to read. I highly recommend this book!

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria/One Signal Publishers for the advanced digital copy of the book.

A master class in civics

I've followed the author on social media for quite a while, always appreciating her clear and concise approach to explaining current political events. I eagerly looked forward to reading her book, and I was not disappointed.

She lays out her thesis - that our nation's citizens need to return to a common sense approach to government - as a set of six guiding principles:

1. America is a land of freedom.
2. Everyone should have the opportunity to rise.
3. Every citizen should have a vote, and that vote should count.
4. Representatives should represent the people who elected them.
5. The law applies to all of us.
6. Government should be a force for good.

These are neither liberal nor conservative ideas; they are simply basic human decency and, dare I repeat the theme, common sense, which doesn't seem to be so common anymore. Each principle is fleshed out with detailed ideas and encouragement to ensure that every political action taken is focused on ensuring that one or more of these principles is protected and enacted.

I love the author's matter-of-fact delivery, her no-nonsense approach, and the clarity with which she makes her case. You don't need a poli-sci degree to feel empowered by this book, and it does a terrific job of demonstrating why every citizen should have a basic grasp of how to use our role as voters to strengthen our nation's core values.

If you're frustrated with feeling like there's nothing you can do to make an impact, I urge you to read this book - soon - and discover the many small ways you can help steer our great nation to its fullest potential. If you're a homeschooler like I am, it's a perfect textbook for a thorough high school civics course. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

‘“A return to common sense” by Leigh McGowen is a very timely book with a very critical election around the corner. I follow Leigh McGowen on Twitter so when I saw when this came on NetGalley I had to jump at it. The author is giving a much needed civics lesson that all Americans would benefit from reading prior to November 5th. This helps us all understand clearly what does and doesn’t work in our government.

I highly recommend this book and thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I give the book 4.25 stars. I received a free ebook from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review. I really like politics and political books. I was excited to read this book.

This book is very informative. It explains how and why the constitution,, electoral college, and political system was set up. It explains why and how the system is today. It goes over a lot of details. It would actually be a good book to reread.

It's a book for democrats. It explains why systems work and don't work. I learned a lot from this book. It's a good book to read when an election is coming up.

It's a fairly easy read. It goes over a lot. The chapters aren't too long. It is very interesting. I feel most people need and really should read this book. It mainly a positive spin on politics. Makes you believe that the system can be better.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for this book. I have more knowledge now. I look forward to reading more from the author.

Very timely perspective on the current state of US politics.

I like how matter-of-fact the author was in presenting the basic tenets of American democracy. The author's politics are clear from her examples and arguments, but the most of the changes that she's in favor of (like ethics reforms) should be things that go beyond political party.

If you've been following US politics at all over the last few years, none of the concepts in this are really new, but I liked the presentation, and I hope it gets everyone thinking about the reforms we can all fight for to make democracy better for everyone.

This book was absolutely amazing!
Anyone who wants to get an into politics, or learn about how the government works, or even want to be more educated during this and further political seasons, read this book.
It well written and provides facts.
I absolutely recommend this book!

"Common sense is not so common." -- Voltaire

This should be must reading for anyone interested in politics or, for that matter, maybe more so for those who claim to be uninterested in politics. As the author notes, whether we're paying attention or not, politics affects us.

I'm not going to try to summarize the author's points but will point you to the blurb and countless lengthy reviews that have already been posted. I first encountered McGowan online where she's known as Politics Girl. Her straight-forward, no nonsense comments appealed to me, so when I stumbled across her book to review, I grabbed it. I was not disappointed. McGowan writes in such a way that you'd swear you're sitting in the room with her having a conversation. The conversational tone makes it easy to follow as she details, first, basically how our government was formed and what falls under the various branches of government (among other things), before offering possible suggestions on how to fix it. She recognizes that the first step in solving a problem is recognizing that there is a problem. Ever political decision made impacts us.

There were many standout moments in the book but for brevity's sake, I'll only mention a few. First, a reminder that the framers of the Constitution saw it as a living document, a work always in progress, so to speak. In the grand scheme of things, only a handful of people make decisions that will have an impact on our lives so we need to be more attentive to who we select to make up that small, core group. Something is broken and ignoring it isn't going to fix it. The other thing that gave me pause was her suggestion for how to make the Supreme Court more effective and fair. Nope, I'm not going to share how. Read the book. Grin. And, finally, her reminder that freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom from accountability. That is something many seem to forget or ignore.

Seriously, this book should be required reading. It's a relatively quick, easy read, too, despite the importance of what it covers. The book opens with what might be dubbed a mini-refresher course of our high school civics class (do they even still have civics classes?) and then into how we've strayed from the ideals of our nation's founders and how we can find our way back. My sincere thanks to #AtriaBooks for allowing me this early look. As Benjamin Franklin once said, "Common sense if something that everyone needs, few have, and none think they lack." McGowan's book will go a long way toward helping us find our way.

I think I know more about civics and government than most Americans, but it turns out, there is a lot more to learn to understand these things in today’s climate. In her passionate (but not angry) style, Leigh McGowan outlines 6 principles that, if followed, will help America return to sanity. For each principle, McGowan provides valuable context that is missing in much of our current political context. She defines the process of how bills become laws, but also describes how today's Congress has learned to game the system in ways that make it extremely difficult to pass meaningful legislation.

We hear a lot about "common sense solutions" from politicians, but McGowan's proposed solutions are firmly grounded in history and current practices. For example, she discusses the current state of the Supreme Court, explains in detail why we are unlikely to see meaningful ethics reform or partisan nominations and confirmations the way the court is currently structured. She proposes expanding the court, not to 12 or 15 as some have suggested, but to 27. This would essentially create a pool of judges from which 9 can be chosen to hear any given case. The advantages are many: plaintiffs would not know who would be on the bench for their case, the court could hear many more cases, and it takes the incentive for partisan court packing out of the nomination process.

I really loved this book and wish it could be read by every citizen, especially now when our system seems to be irrevocably broken. Many thanks to Atria and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I liked this a lot! Leigh takes her title and inspiration from Common Sense, which helped inspire U.S. independence. gives a lot of information such as how Congress works, how the courts work, and also the history of where we have been, information on where we currently are, and ideas for a greater future. I like the way she presents her ideas, and I will read this again in the near future.

Really appreciated this thoughtful and back-to-basics view of the American government and how it should work for the people. This was especially timely and informative.

A Return to Common Sense is “a political book for non-political people from viral TikTok sensation PoliticsGirl.”

I went into this book blindly, and I think that was both a benefit and an opportunity. Leigh McGowan, also known as PoliticsGirl, is an extremely popular social media personality. Interestingly enough, she is a Canadian immigrant who chose to move to America to live the “American Dream”.

In this book, Leigh provides an outsider’s point of view on the current state of American politics. It was extremely interesting how she took the principles of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense and updated them to reflect her version of what she perceives American principles to be in today’s political climate.

She has six principles 1) America is a land of freedom, 2) everyone should have the opportunity to rise, 3) every citizen should have a vote, and that vote should count, 4) representatives should represent the people who voted for them, 5) the law applies to all of us, and 6) government should be a force for good.

While these principles seem to be pretty simple, Leigh goes into extreme detail explaining what they should be and how far we as a country has strayed away from them. The best part is that she uses language that everyone can understand and she provides a basic overview of American history including what the founding fathers accomplished with the Consitution.

After reading this book, I can honestly say that I see today’s political atmosphere from a new perspective and it came at the perfect time. As I sit here writing this review, the first (only?) presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump is getting underway.

Reading this allowed me to look at today’s political situation with new eyes and I garnered a better understanding of what is truly at stake. This book is not just for those who do not follow politics, although the message Leigh provides is definitely at a level that anyone who reads this book will have a better understanding what is at stake.

This book should be required reading for high school seniors who are going to be voting this year and in future elections and I think that Legih’s perspective as an immigrant is something that made this book that much better. She doesn’t have to be here, she chooses to. Having that in the back of your mind helps you consider her words through different lenses.

A Return to Common Sense is a quick read, which is refreshing considering the topics that are discussed. It also provides you with a concise and clear recap of what you learned in high school about the Constitution and our government, in terms that are easy to understand and relevant to today’s political situation.

It comes out on September 17th, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in making a difference in this election. Regardless of who or what your politics are, Leigh gives a fresh perspective that truly reminds you of what our American democracy should stand for.

Thank you, Leigh McGowan, for this amazing book! An even bigger thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

"A Return to Common Sense" by Leigh McGowan is a book that should be read by every American when it is available on September 17th.

Chocked full of common sense solutions that examine 6 American principles that most Americans will recognize and I suspect, agree with. Our country seems to become more divisive and splintered along party lines; and we need to realize that is up to each of us to become informed and involved if we want the grand experiment that is our nation to continue. Written in conversational tones with a refresher civic lesson for some of us...that may be new to others...Leigh has written a compulsively readable book that is so very important in this election year and into the future. Her section on Identity politics was especially noteworthy and thought provoking. I want to thank NetGalley and Atria for an advanced electronic copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

A Return to Common Sense by Leigh McGowan, also known as PoliticsGirl, is a must-read for anyone looking to understand the current state of American politics. McGowan blends a refresher on the basics of the U.S. government with an insightful analysis of how we've strayed from our founding principles. Her conversational writing style makes complex topics easy to grasp, and her six American ideals offer a clear roadmap for reclaiming a government that truly serves its people. This book is both informative and engaging, making it perfect for those new to politics and those needing a refresher. Highly recommended for all Americans.

This book is part a reminder of how the US’s government is set up (for those of us who need a reminder because it’s been a while since high school), mixed in with how we got to where we are in current politics and what we can do to get it back on track. It’s a relatively easy read, even with all the information she throws at you and is definitely worth picking up, especially now. Her writing style is conversational, which I liked and I also appreciated her list of other resources/works to check out at the end. I would definitely recommend this one for all Americans.

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the review copy.

Pub date: September 17, 2024

This book is part reminding us how the government was set up to work - which harkened back to high school civics/government class and part discussing where and how things have gone so wrong along the way. I've watched a lot of Leigh McGowan's videos online and that same common sense explanation is in full force in this book. Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for a chance to read an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A Return to Common Sense is a timely book that should be a must read before the election. It was interesting to me that the author is an immigrant (ok...Canada, but still...) but is more well versed in politics than most of us. And, by well versed, I mean looking at it as a citizen should, making sure you are finding the truth (whatever that might be,) and that you VOTE. Like many, I'd first seen Ms. McGowan in her YouTube videos, and then later, her podcast. It was a refreshing read that made me think. Preorder this one so that you can read it well before you make your decisions about your vote. Using common sense will help you make your decisions.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.