Bob Graham says you can fight city hall — and win.
The former Florida governor and U.S. senator says he wants to help people make government work for them with his new book: "America, The Owner's Manual."
"Many citizens don't know how to participate in the game of democracy," said Graham, who also briefly ran for president in 2004. "Therefore, they stay in the stands as spectators and never get down on the field."
Graham and co-author Chris Hand, a Jacksonville lawyer and former Graham speech writer, have included case studies such as efforts to save South Beach's historic buildings, crack down on drunken driving across the nation and reduce property insurance rates in the Florida Keys that all began with one citizen or a small group. There's also advice from a variety of experts.
The paperback published by CQ Press is designed to look like a car owner's manual.
Stunned by lack of civics knowledgeGraham's frustration began three decades ago when he taught a civics class at a Miami high school for a semester. He was stunned by the students' lack of basic knowledge of civics and developed a curriculum to help them develop the essential skills to confront real-world problems they or their community were facing.
He decided to write the book after teaching a similar course three decades later at Harvard University.
"I, frankly, found the undergraduates at Harvard were about as illiterate in civic skills as the high school students," Graham said.
"America, The Owner's Manual" was written for college students, but Graham said he hopes it'll also help all ages become more engaged.
Graham said 2008, which saw the election of former community organizer Barack Obama as president, could mark a turnaround.
"There was an increase in voter participation, particularly among younger voters, and there seems to be increasing willingness of people to get actually involved in a political campaign," Graham said.