Bigger Than Bernie

How We Go from the Sanders Campaign to Democratic Socialism

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Pub Date 27 Mar 2020 | Archive Date 15 May 2020

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Description

Win or lose, Bernie has reshaped the landscape of American politics. Where does the political revolution go next?

The political ambitions of the movement behind Bernie Sanders have never been limited to winning the White House. Since Bernie first entered the presidential primaries in 2016, his supporters have worked to organize a revolution intended to encourage the active participation of millions of ordinary people in political life. That revolution is already underway, as evidenced by the massive growth of the Democratic Socialists of America, the teachers Bernie motivated to lead strikes across red and blue states, and the rising new generation of radicals in Congress—led by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar—inspired by his example.

In Bigger than Bernie, activist writers Meagan Day and Micah Uetricht give us an intimate map of this emerging movement to remake American politics top to bottom, profiling the grassroots organizers who are building something bigger, and more ambitious, than the career of any one candidate. As participants themselves, Day and Uetricht provide a serious analysis of the prospects for long-term change, offering a strategy for making “political revolution” more than just a campaign slogan. They provide a road map for how to entrench democratic socialism in the halls of power and in our own lives.

Bigger than Bernie
offers unmatched insights into the people behind the most unique campaign in modern American history and a clear-eyed sense of how the movement can sustain itself for the long haul.
Win or lose, Bernie has reshaped the landscape of American politics. Where does the political revolution go next?

The political ambitions of the movement behind Bernie Sanders have never been limited...

Advance Praise

“Bigger Than Bernie offers an important contribution to the urgent debates about rebuilding the American Left. Leading members of the Democratic Socialists of America, Meagan Day and Micah Uetricht link that process to the improbable emergence of Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign and his insistence on ‘Not me, Us.’ Day and Uetricht put flesh on Sanders’s call for a ‘political revolution’ which they see as not only critical to the success of Sanders’ campaign, but the revitalization of class struggle politics and organizing in the US. Buy, read, discuss and debate this book!”

– Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, author of From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation


“Meagan Day and Micah Uetricht are two of the most brilliant and courageous intellectuals organically grounded in the marvelous militancy of the Sanders Movement. This indispensable book is a powerful, pioneering analysis of these new radical times, and a compelling vision of where it all might be going.”

– Cornel West, author of Race Matters


“Hannah Arendt said we should ‘think what we are doing.’ And that is what Meagan Day and Micah Uetricht have done here. Their book not only examines all that democratic socialists have achieved in the past few years but also gives an exhilarating account of what we’ll be doing in the coming years. Anyone who thinks, with dread or relief, that the work comes to an end after Election Day in 2020 will think again. As Day and Uetricht show, the fight for democratic socialism has only just begun, and I’m going to keep coming back to them and their book in order to understand where and how it goes in the future.”

– Corey Robin, author of The Enigma of Clarence Thomas


“Bigger Than Bernie is a comprehensive and necessary read for those longing for a more humane country, and as someone who has been up close in many of our current fights for justice, I can attest to the power of its analysis. The authors champion non-reformist reforms that arise from and propoel social movements, and provide an essential roadmap for achieving permanent change. An energizing and instructive account that brings socialism into the present tense.”

– RoseAnn DeMoro, former executive of National Nurses United


“Part history lesson, part guide book; this is a love letter to the everyday people and movements who transformed this country and who continue to declare that our lives have meaning, and our future is worth fighting for. Bigger than Bernie, isn’t about the man who’s spent the majority of his political career on the fringes. It’s about fighters. It’s about thinkers. It’s about love. It’s about US.”

– Phillip Agnew, co-founder of the Dream Defenders


“An indispensable guide to 21st century socialism from the view of clear eyed, sharp witted, smart, funny authors who lay bare the past failures of angry, narrow sectarianism, and offer a bold, dynamic vision for using the Sanders moment to build a stronger left. These authors, like the magazine they write for, give me hope!”

– Jane McAlevey, author of A Collective Bargain

“Bigger Than Bernie offers an important contribution to the urgent debates about rebuilding the American Left. Leading members of the Democratic Socialists of America, Meagan Day and Micah Uetricht...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781788738385
PRICE $24.95 (USD)
PAGES 256

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Featured Reviews

Really wonderful book about the inception of socialism and Democratic Socialism. Very descriptive history of how it evolved and the actual policies presented by Democratic Socialists. A history of Bernie Sanders' involvement in progressive politics since his early 20s and how he came the champion workers. Also very clear, concise arguments surrounding the concept of a 3rd party in the US, and how that has not been as easy to achieve anytime soon as some people demand. Highly recommended read for all those interested in the movement to make this world just and safe for all people, not just the 1%.

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This was a great recap on Bernie's journey, how his rise in national politics helped spark wider movements, and how and why we as a people need to carry on the true work that needs to come.

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A good overview of Bernie Sanders and his beliefs. On top of that a good introduction to Democratic Socialism and what we need.

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