Rebooting Democracy: A Citizen's Guide to Reinventing Politics
Manuel Arriaga

Book Reviews

• "A quick and easy read that makes the case for why existing political systems are inadequate and then shows examples of how to move us past those problems and toward more democratic systems. Along with many clever insights, Rebooting Democracy: A Citizen's Guide to Reinventing Politics points the way to where democracy is heading."
  John Gastil, Professor and Director of the McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State University
• "A short and engaging book. Written in the irreverent, outsider spirit of the Occupy protests, Rebooting Democracy: A Citizen's Guide to Reinventing Politics goes well beyond critiquing the status quo. It discusses several ways to democratize our society. An essential ingredient of the proposals is a radical expansion of the role of juries: the book argues that having groups of randomly chosen citizens making political decisions is the core of democracy. Interesting and well-worth reading."
  Yoram Gat, founder and editor of Equality by Lot
• "Don't you feel sometimes that there is something wrong with contemporary democracy? That politicians are like a separate caste which makes decisions over the heads of people? Why is this happening? In Rebooting Democracy: A Citizen's Guide to Reinventing Politics, Manuel Arriaga answers these questions in a straightforward manner, carefully explaining point-by-point how it is possible that those we elect so often fail to represent us. This short book prompted in me to the issues which I had never thought of before."
  Krytyka Polityczna
• "If you want things organized, you might have to read some quite tricky books about democracy, such as Rebooting Democracy."
  Russell Brand
• "A rare democracy book that manages to be practical, realistic and radical. A great read for those who despair of any actionable options."
  TOM STEINBERG, founder and director of mySociety
• "A short, sharp shock to the body politic, Rebooting Democracy: A Citizen’s Guide to Reinventing Politics is a smart critique of what's wrong with the current system—and what needs to change. Accessible, engaging and brimming with ideas for reinventing politics in the 21st century."
  PETER GEOGHEGAN, editor of Political Insight, the magazine of the British Political Studies Association
• "Passionately argued, yet plainly written, Rebooting Democracy is part scholarship, part manifesto—a wholehearted call for civic engagement at a time of growing dissatisfaction with politics. Manuel Arriaga’s book challenges the idea that our democracies cannot be improved and successfully builds a case for political renewal."
  ALBERTO ALEMANNO, Professor at HEC Paris and NYU School of Law; Founder of eLabEurope
• "In so many corners of the world there is a pressing call for political change. Yet we are in an uncertain era where political ideologies and institutions are tired and no longer able to provide answers. Political activists—and all of those who feel disenchanted with our current way of doing politics—need a new political vocabulary. Manuel Arriaga offers them a stimulating start at re-imagining democracy in his pithy little book, Rebooting Democracy: A Citizen’s Guide to Reinventing Politics."
  FORREST D. COLBURN, Professor at the Graduate Center, City University of New York