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Giving Up Is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping a Democracy
A political manifesto for our present moment—part history lesson, part call to save the Republic
"Brilliant, galvanizing, and inspirational. A road map to help us find our way out of the darkness." —Mary L. Trump
We’re in this together.
For the past several years, Joyce Vance has signed off posts on her chart-topping Substack, "Civil Discourse", with these four words. In that time, she has guided readers through a continued erosion of democratic norms, the unprecedented felony conviction of an ex-president, and the constitutionally calamitous beginning to the second Trump administration. Here, Vance offers a blueprint for avoiding burnout and despair, and for strengthening our democratic muscle.
Giving Up Is Unforgivable is a clarion call to action, putting our current crisis in historical context and sketching out a vision for where we go next. Vance’s message is hopeful at its heart, even as it acknowledges the daunting challenges that lie ahead. She is the constitutional law professor you never knew you needed, explaining the legal context and the political history— and why the rule of the law still matters. At the same time, she empowers the reader to do something, both as individuals and collectively.
Consider this the birth of a countermovement to Project 2025, a rallying cry for citizen engagement to combat the second Trump administration and save American democracy.
"Brilliant, galvanizing, and inspirational. A road map to help us find our way out of the darkness." —Mary L. Trump
We’re in this together.
For the past several years, Joyce Vance has signed off posts on her chart-topping Substack, "Civil Discourse", with these four words. In that time, she has guided readers through a continued erosion of democratic norms, the unprecedented felony conviction of an ex-president, and the constitutionally calamitous beginning to the second Trump administration. Here, Vance offers a blueprint for avoiding burnout and despair, and for strengthening our democratic muscle.
Giving Up Is Unforgivable is a clarion call to action, putting our current crisis in historical context and sketching out a vision for where we go next. Vance’s message is hopeful at its heart, even as it acknowledges the daunting challenges that lie ahead. She is the constitutional law professor you never knew you needed, explaining the legal context and the political history— and why the rule of the law still matters. At the same time, she empowers the reader to do something, both as individuals and collectively.
Consider this the birth of a countermovement to Project 2025, a rallying cry for citizen engagement to combat the second Trump administration and save American democracy.
208 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 21, 2025
156 people are currently reading
751 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 24, 2025
Understanding where we are and where we need to go. Next up, read the Federalist papers.
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October 25, 2025Well, only one of the chapters is a manual for how to take action. The overwhelming majority of the text recent events and other history. A more apt title might have been, "This Sure Has Been a Lot, Hasn't It?"
October 24, 2025
3.75 stars
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews