2025 Democracy Reading Challenge

America had won the Revolution, but the hard part wasn’t over. The thirteen states were bickering, the government was broke, and in Massachusetts, angry farmers had taken up arms in rebellion. After fighting so hard for independence, was the new nation already falling apart?

In May 1787, delegates from across the country, including George Washington, James Madison, and Benjamin Franklin, met in Philadelphia. Over a long, sweltering summer, they drafted a bold new plan for government: the U.S. Constitution. Their work transformed a fragile alliance into a unified nation, one that would grow in strength and influence, rooted in the power of “We the People” and inspiring freedom movements around the world.

Rice offers a sweeping look at the global struggle for democracy and why America must continue to lead in defending human freedom.

Drawing on her front-row experience, from the Cold War’s end to the Middle East’s human rights battles, Rice explores what history teaches us about democracy’s resilience. She also reflects on her own childhood in segregated Birmingham, Alabama, where she witnessed a civil rights movement that reshaped the nation.

Rice argues that no two democratic journeys are alike. Progress is slow, uneven, and often marked by setbacks. But even in imperfect conditions, the fight for freedom is worth pursuing. Using examples from the U.S., Eastern Europe, Africa, and Latin America, she shows that democracy is never easy, never finished, and always worth the effort.

Arthur C. Brooks, one of the country’s leading policy experts and president of the American Enterprise Institute, offers a bold new vision for conservatism as a movement rooted in happiness, unity, and social justice. It combines intellect and compassion while directly challenging the liberal hold on ideas like “fairness” and “compassion.”

Drawing on years of research, Brooks lays out a social justice agenda for a New Right—an inclusive, optimistic movement focused on fighting poverty, promoting equal opportunity, encouraging spiritual growth, and helping people lead happier, more fulfilling lives. This vision is grounded in four core institutions of meaning: family, faith, community, and meaningful work. It calls for a government safety net that genuinely lifts people up and promotes real hope through earned success.

Clear, well-reasoned, and accessible, The Conservative Heart offers a practical strategy for conservatives seeking fresh ideas, as well as for politically independent citizens who feel that neither party is truly addressing their needs.

To honor God, we must be willing to boldly step into the unknown. Why? Because complacency and familiarity are often the biggest obstacles to fulfilling our God-given destiny.

Many of us carry bold dreams placed in our hearts by God, but fear and uncertainty try to keep us from pursuing them. Faith Moves speaks to those inner voices that push us to play it safe. Whether it’s family expectations, financial comfort, past achievements, or personal relationships, this book challenges us to let go of security and trust God fully.

Faith is not passive — it’s active. God calls us out of our comfort zones so we can step into His purpose for our lives. So take the leap. Your destiny isn’t found in the familiar; it’s waiting on the other side of faith.

Michelle Obama is one of the most influential and admired women of our time. As the first African American First Lady of the United States, she helped make the White House more inclusive and welcoming. She became a global advocate for women and girls, redefined how families think about health and wellness, and supported her husband through some of the country’s most difficult moments. She also brought a sense of fun and relatability, from sharing dance moves to singing Carpool Karaoke, all while raising two grounded daughters under intense public scrutiny.

In her memoir Becoming, she offers a candid and powerful account of the experiences that shaped her. From her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years balancing a demanding career with motherhood, and finally to her time at the White House, she tells her story with honesty, warmth, and wit. Becoming is a deeply personal reflection from a woman who has defied expectations and continues to inspire others to do the same.

Something is wrong. We all feel it.

American life expectancy is falling for the third year in a row. Birth rates are down. Nearly half of us believe the other political party isn’t just mistaken, they’re evil. We’re the richest country in history, yet we’ve never been more pessimistic.

So what’s behind the despair?

In Them, bestselling author and U.S. Senator Ben Sasse argues that our crisis isn’t really about politics. It’s about loneliness. We’re so disconnected we can’t think clearly, and that isolation shows up as anger.

Local communities are falling apart. Across the country, Little Leagues are vanishing, Rotary clubs are shrinking, and most of us don’t know the neighbor two doors down. Work offers less stability, fewer lasting relationships, and little sense of purpose. Stable families and lasting friendships, the foundation of a meaningful life, are rapidly disappearing.

As traditional communities fade, we cling to enemies just to feel like we belong somewhere. Public trust in institutions is crumbling, giving hostile foreign actors room to exploit our divisions. Half the country risks believing entirely different facts from the other half, and digital technology only worsens things.

There is a way forward. Reversing this decline will take something radical: a renewed focus on real places and face-to-face relationships. Even as technology pulls us toward rootlessness, Sasse argues that only by recovering a sense of rootedness can we begin to heal.

“The American political system, which includes everyone from voters to journalists to the president, is full of rational actors making rational decisions based on the incentives they face,” writes political analyst Ezra Klein. “We are a collection of functional parts whose efforts combine into a dysfunctional whole.”

Described as “a thoughtful, clear and persuasive analysis” by The New York Times Book Review, Why We’re Polarized explores the structural and psychological forces behind America’s deepening division. This is not a polemic or a lament, but a clear and compelling framework for understanding everything from the rise of Donald Trump to the Democratic Party’s shift leftward to the increasing politicization of daily life.

At the heart of this polarization is identity. Everyone involved in American politics participates, in some way, in identity politics. Over the past fifty years, partisan identity has merged with racial, religious, geographic, ideological, and cultural identities. These overlapping allegiances have become so powerful that they are fracturing our political system and straining the ties that hold the country together.

Klein explains how American politics became centered around identity, how that shift changed our worldview, and how it created a feedback loop between political identities and political institutions. That loop is now pushing the system toward crisis.