All Politics is Local: a Critical Look at Politics and Our Community / Book Review

Politics has always been interesting to me but I hit a point in life when knowing what was happening in politics became vital to my existence and daily life. All Politics is Local by Meaghan Winter has been on my TBR pile for quite a while but I’m so glad I finally got around to reading it!

Now, I’m sharing my takeaways and why I think you should take a chance on reading All Politics is Local by Meaghan Winter. Let’s dive in!

Politics & Me (& You)

How politics functions has always been of interest to me, but I hit a point in which knowing what was happening in politics became vital to my existence. For a while, my existence was safe thanks to the development of DACA by the Obama administration.

And then came the upheaval that was the Trump administration. My junior and senior years in college were the most emotionally trying years of my life, not only because of the emotional baggage of college activities and rituals but also because my legal status was being targeted.

It was during that time that I also saw how states were taking action to address concerns that DACA people had, like having access to in-state tuition and more scholarships and being able to take bar exams and practice law.

When I saw the title of this book, All Politics is Local: Why Progressives Must Fight for the States, its subtitle is what really drew me in. The mention of “fight for the states” reminded me of all the state voting and actions that I saw regarding DACA back when I was in college. In recent times, it brought to mind the fights regarding gun control, mental health advocacy, abortion, birth control, voting rights, and so much more. I figured it was a good book to learn about stuff I might’ve missed while focusing on my college studies, and maybe even learn about past issues that had occurred while I was much younger.

I am officially done with the book but I was right. I’ve learned so much about how organizations partner together, how they drive each other apart, the impact of money (on both sides), and the fights over so many different topics (though mostly abortion, gun control, and youth voting).

Do you know how people talk about doing an annual reading of their favorite book(s)? That’s how I feel this book should be treated. There are so many details, from various organizations to senators and representatives and could’ve been senators and representatives, important donors, movement leaders, and so many more names that could all serve as jumping-off points for years and years of research (and that’s not even touching on all the sources in the ‘Notes’ section at the end)!

Topics Covered in All Politics is Local

The book is structured so that each chapter focuses on a state. Within those chapters, the author talks about the various journeys coalitions and issues have gone through: how some coalitions partnered up and how some became fragmented, how issues were expanded or shrunk, how organizations were built up, and how some organizations slowly faded.

The author also discusses gun control, the pro-life and pro-choice battles, and youth voting movements. On more of the sideline are the topics of unions, environmental protests, and healthcare. Unifying these topics is money: sometimes in the form of billionaires, sometimes as foundations, and sometimes as corporations.

What the author does well is show us the parts and workings of a political machine that can be hard to identify otherwise, especially if you’re not fully involved in politics. I certainly don’t believe that I now know everything about politics but I feel like I’ve been shown a bigger picture and, in turn, been shown how I can take part in my local politics.

Interesting Quotes from All Politics is Local

“If lawyers challenged a circuit ruling all the way up to the chain to the Supreme Court, the justices could gut Roe again, as they did in Casey, only more completely this time. But most court watchers assumed that the Supreme Court would not unilaterally overrule Roe, which could spur intense political backlash, instead continuing to allow states more and more leeway, keeping abortion hypothetically legal while also making all but impossible to end an unwanted or dangerous pregnancy.”

“All Politics is Local” by Meaghan Winter, page 173

Oh boy. I remember learning about Roe v. Wade in school and thinking that was that, a court decision can’t be changed. But as I read more about the court and legislative actions in the book, I’m astounded at how much can truly be chipped away. The author does a great job of showing how little actions can build up to bigger consequences and bigger impacts.

“The Coloradans working the statehouse and in those political organizations were talented and committed, and they were sticking around. A nexus of the ascendant political class was New Era Colorado, the youth voting group that Steve Fenberg and his friends had started. I kept meeting people and learning that they had interned, volunteered, or worked for New Era.”

All Politics is Local by Meaghan Winter, page 177

I can’t immediately recall another line that gave me such warm happy feelings of excitement! The focus on the youth and their activism is so good to see highlighted, but what really excites me is the staying power of those who got involved in politics early on in their lives.

Throughout the book, you read about the New Era Colorado organization and how instrumental they were in campaigns. The author also explains how the organization invests in their members, but also how leadership specifically invests in their interns by sharing practical knowledge and including them in political experiences.

As mentioned before, this is a book I would like to reread every so often, if only to see how things change and how some things will probably stay the same.

Politics is an everchanging game and new attacks and strategies are constantly popping up. While this book will surely age at some point, the political history and information it provided were truly eye-opening.

I’m glad that during these stressful weeks, I have finally taken the time to tackle some of the books I’ve been wanting to read.

This was a book post about
All Politics is Local: Why Progressives Must Fight for the States by Meaghan Winter.

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