Becoming a Citizen Activist: Stories, Strategies & Advice for Changing Our World

by Nick Licata

A bipartisan self-help guide to political activism for citizens wanting to improve the world around them—with real-life examples and practical tips—from one of Seattle’s most celebrated leaders   From post-inauguration rallies to #NoDAPL and the Black Lives Matter movement to the global Women’s March on Washington, the people are exercising their power through protest and community organizing in a way that hasn’t been seen in years. For those looking to organize for the first time or for seasoned activists looking to update their repertoire, the time is ripe for a playbook like Becoming a Citizen Activist.   A longtime Seattle city councilmember and one of the city’s most effective and inspiring leaders of progressive political and social change since the 1960s, Nick Licata outlines how to get organized and master the tactics to create change by leveraging effective communication strategies (such as creating community through online channels like Facebook and Twitter), how to effectively engage traditional media channels, and how to congregate local and national people power. Licata demonstrates by example that we can fight city hall.   Balancing an idealistic vision of a better world with the clear-eyed pragmatism necessary to build it from the ground up, this smart and powerful book will empower any activist with the tools they need to effect change.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Social Justice, Activism, Society

226 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 5, 2016

Reviews

[Nicole]

Meh. It was ok. I enjoyed reading the stories about Seattle's politics, but as many commenters have stated, this book seemed to recount the author's experiences and successes as an activist (from the position of an elected official) rather than giving concrete advice for the average joe to change the world. Many people don't have the time to put into attending rallies or giving press conferences, or they have jobs (e.g., in government) where being too visible politically would be problematic. It would have been nice to see more suggestions that these people could implement in their own lives – not slacktivism, but something more in the vein of Little Shifts.

To sum it all up: the title is clear on what you're gonna get, with a heavy emphasis on "stories" and less on "strategies" and "advice."

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not "Rules for Radicals", but a guide on working within the political system to create non-revolutionary change. It's more interesting for its stories of Seattle's politics than for what the book's title suggests it will be.

[Samantha Sprole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book suffers greatly from a lack of organization. Important points of theory or strategy are buried at the end of paragraphs detailing the minutia of some Seattle effort. The book seems to start off with a thematic structure based on Seeing, Listening, Learning, and Organizing, but that seems to fizzle out. A casual reader might get lost and frustrated by the seemingly stream-of-consciousness structure.

Still, I think this book provides a lot of value if you have the time and mental energy to piece together its main ideas and strategic suggestions. Buried toward the back of the book, Licata compares the Occupy movement to the Tea Party movement, and this is where I think the perspective of the book shines most brightly. The Occupy movement disdained politics as usual, never sought to take over the Democratic Party, and instead propagated a rhetoric of overthrowing capitalism. On the other hand, the Tea Party built lucrative partnerships with wealthy interests that also wanted small government and low taxes, and they changed Congress and pushed a national agenda in DC.

Similarly, Licata advocates for progressive action through a) established governmental structures of power (i.e., electoral politics and continued citizen engagement post-election, as in volunteer citizen commissions), and b) involvement in parallel collective power structures, like Seattle's homeless encampments, intentional communities and land trusts.

Licata generally stresses incrementalism: the gradual accumulation of small policy changes leading toward a progressive aim (like gay marriage or marijuana legalization) rather than sudden sweeping changes. In his experience on city council, incremental policy changes have the greatest success rate and create a momentum for social justice.

Scattered throughout the text are important tools and mindsets for maximizing impact. For one, Licata highlights the importance of data collection, analysis and concise presentation when appealing to decision makers. Also, emphasizing common values (transparent procedures, reliable data collection, mutual respect) and common frustrations (unresponsive government) across the political spectrum helps to build strong alliances thoughout a community. He cautions against lecturing people, rather coax potential support from the population, and "coax politicians to have the courage to pursue their own beliefs": "... Don't promote absolute solutions, but address people's anger by giving them some control over their lives."

I'd especially recommend this book to individuals looking for an introduction to citizen commissions (advisory groups), public forums, networking, and affordable opinion polling. There's some gems here, but unfortunately, he makes you dig for them.

[Carolyn Ahmad · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book with my 17 yo daughter as part of a HS senior course in US government. We had wildly different takes on it. She really enjoyed it, as it was quite different from other political texts she has read, in particular, those that focus on history and what presidents and members of congress...mostly men... have accomplished throughout history. What she liked about this book was that it centered on what everyday people can do to enact change in how society runs and functions. Personally, I thought it was somewhat painful to get through. The meat of the book was either way too high level or way too in the weeds of the specific Seattle-area political environment. I think something in the middle would have been far more engaging. My take was a 2 star book, but my daughter (who is hard to please) gave it 4 stars, so I'll give it 3 stars.

[Jason Motz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Perhaps it is better than two stars, but the book does feel curiously dated in 2020. The book is well written and researched, and the hardcover edition is nicely laid out. But honestly it feels like the information within is bloody ancient! If you are riveted by Seattle civic politics then this may be of further interest to you. To me? Not so much. Good practical advice throughout; but I would suggest that anyone with any sort of activist cred, this is going to be a full on 'been there, done that, next!' sort of read. I would be happy to read a future, updated edition.

[Kai · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of career stories from a Seattle politician, this book feels like listening to someone's life experience but not necessarily taking concrete points away. It is nice for me as someone who might work with Seattle government in the future. Less rambling style and more focus could elevate it.

[(a)lyss(a) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short and helpful anthology of examples of people changing policy. It’s very Seattle-centric, but there are anecdotes on ways that people organized. I wish there was a bit more analysis and depth on how to recreate these successes in other places, but overall it’s a good and inspiring read.

[Cassandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked second half better than the first. Would have rated higher if there was a little more about how politicians make decisions. What are their concerns, metrics? Too often the stories included, show that the idea worked elsewhere... Except not everyone can be third or second. Someone has to be first.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a good one for an introduction to citizen activism. If you are already experienced in community organizing, protest, or other civic activities it would be a good resource to have on hand for new participants.

[Kyla McCallum]

I read everything important in this… it’s just very repetitive, with way too many examples of the concepts raised. I did not enjoy the organization at all, and a good editor would have cut the book in half. Still, I won’t mark it as read because I skimmed the last couple chapters.

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for a class. Very simple, good place for folks to begin.

[Dachokie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rules for the Less-Radical …

This book was reviewed as part of Amazon's Vine program which included a free copy of the book.

When Saul Alinsky wrote “Rules for Radicals” in 1971, he outlined activism as an “us vs them” (have/have nots) conflict. While the book’s tactical blueprint has been successfully used by activists and politicians for decades, it’s become somewhat dated, stale and (gasp) somewhat impractical nowadays. With BECOMING A CITIZEN ACTIVIST, former Seattle Councilman Nick Licata attempts to modernize and even tone-down Alinsky’s concepts in a manner that’s more palatable for today’s batch of “radicals”.

The tone of BECOMING A CITIZEN ACTIVIST is mild compared to Alinsky’s work and uses his own success as an activist to illustrate points rather than issuing marching orders. Most of the topics/examples focus on standard liberal/progressive beliefs (raising minimum wage, legalizing marijuana, soft immigration, same-sex marriage, etc.). While Licata does provide a modest template of how to rally people to the cause using different forms of media and taking a more palatable (non-coercive) approach to challenging issues, most of the book centers on Licata’s own experiences and successes prompting changes.

I found much of BECOMING A CITIZEN ACTIVIST based on common-sense and really didn’t feel anything ground-breaking was presented. Licata simply tells readers what worked for him and expounds on methods/tactics … in other words, basic stuff. While the book is aimed at liberal/progressive issues, anyone wanting to challenge “the system” can incorporate the ideas described (as Licata illustrates by discussing the Tea Party’s impact within the Republican Party).

[Olivia Sonell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good book. A little too liberal sometimes, but definitely on the side of progress. The highlight of the book is all the stories Nick shares of times he's learned from other people's activism, he even shares stories of the times he was wrong about something, and it all works because it adds authenticity to his advice and an air of experience; he knows what he's saying because it has worked for him or he's seen it work for others.

[Alessandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not exactly what I was looking for, but it was short with some helpful points and several stories of change from Seattle.