Don't Wait for New Leaders. BECOME Them

Don't Wait for New Leaders. BECOME Them

From How To Citizen with Baratunde by iHeartPodcasts

April 19, 2025 · 7 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the evolution of democracy through community-led initiatives in West Virginia.

Today we bring you  Story #6  in our  Week of Citizening . We’ve already shown you how people are rethinking democracy through libraries, labor, and school boards. Now we’re headed to a place often overlooked but brimming with democratic possibility:  West Virginia . See the visuals and links to all these stories here: https://newsletter.baratunde.com/p/dont-wait-for-better-leaders-become   We’re told politics is about picking the lesser of evils. Ordering off a fixed menu. But what if we left the table… and headed for the kitchen? That’s what the folks behind West Virginia Can’t Wait  are doing. And it’s a clear sign that  democracy is evolving . They’ve passed legislation that’s rare even in liberal strongholds They don’t run candidates but communities They help hold elected officials accountable and offer ongoing support This is what Jon Alexander calls the shift from  Consumer Democracy  to  Citizen Democracy . Not just new processes like Citizens’ Assemblies or Participatory Budgeting (though we love those too) — but  real people getting a grip…

People in this episode

Host: Baratunde Thurston

Topics covered

  • democracy
  • community engagement
  • political activism
  • West Virginia
  • citizen democracy

Keywords

  • democracy
  • West Virginia Can’t Wait
  • community
  • politics
  • citizen engagement

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: West Virginia Can’t Wait

Places: West Virginia, Appalachia

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