by Jim DeMint
First published 2015
Jim DeMint chronicles his journey from the frustrations of serving as a U.S. Senator from South Carolina to leading The Heritage Foundation in a mission to restore America's founding principles. Despite holding what appeared to be significant power in Washington, DeMint discovered he felt helpless against expanding federal bureaucracy and the persistent belief that larger government solves national problems. His book presents a different path forward through what he terms "little platoons" - the families, churches, communities and voluntary organizations that operate on local levels. DeMint profiles Americans across the country who embody this approach, demonstrating how citizen-led initiatives create meaningful change. He addresses major policy areas including education, taxation, regulation, poverty, labor, healthcare, environmentalism and federalism through historical context and real success stories. The author argues that conservative principles represent fundamentally American values that can guide the transformation of top-down bureaucratic institutions back to the bottom-up democratic structure envisioned by the Constitution. His central message challenges the notion that problems have grown too large or complex for ordinary citizens to address effectively.
Genres: history, business, american, political-science, non-fiction, biography-memoir, current-affairs, american-history
Vibes: intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: call-to-action, personal-journey
Setting: South Carolina, Washington
Period: 21st-century
320 pages · Paperback · Center Street