After You Vote: A Woman’s Guide to Making an Impact, from Town Hall to Capitol Hill

by Courtney Emerson

Regardless of the 2020 election results, the real work begins now.

Today, women in the United States are more educated and politically ambitious than ever before. However, the record numbers of women running for office, casting votes, and marching for change haven't translated into full and equal political participation. On average, women are less likely than men to engage in a huge range of important political activities—from speaking up on the issues they care about to holding their representatives accountable.

There are lots of reasons we fail to get involved, despite how much we care. Maybe you're worried that you don't know enough to be an effective advocate. Or maybe the problems seem so big and overwhelming that you feel paralyzed, or like our political system is broken, and you don't know which tools and tactics will actually create real change.

Equal parts information and inspiration, After You Vote: A Woman's Guide to Making an Impact, from Town Hall to Capitol Hill is both a primer and call-to-action for women of all ages who want to exercise their voices and engage more fully in civic life. It's the ultimate guide to political engagement, filled with practical (and proven) tactics to make your voice heard and have an influence on the issues YOU care about most—whatever those may be.

Many of the skills you need—to get local roads fixed or to engage on issues of reproductive health, global warming, or any issue you're passionate about—you likely already have. You just need to brush up on the basics and get focused. That's where this book comes in. Written by Courtney Emerson, cofounder of All In Together, After You Vote is a nonpartisan, nonjudgmental starting point for all women who want to do more but aren't sure where to start, featuring stories and tactics from changemakers across the country.

This book will help you:

- Brush up on how our government is structured and how the legislative process works (from Congress to your local city council)
- Find out who represents you and the best ways to engage and influence them
- Prioritize your issues, where you can make the most difference
- Plan for the kind of long-term civic engagement that actually makes change happen (politics is a marathon, not a sprint!)

The question isn't if you can create change on behalf of the issues you care about. You can. The question is: What's at stake if you don't? You already have issues—now is the time to do something about them.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Feminism

304 pages, Paperback

Published January 26, 2021

Reviews

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this in a goodreads giveaway. It’s an important and fun book to read

[Serena · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was excellent. The author begins the book with some basic civics, which was super helpful to brush up on after being out of school for a few years. Then it was broken down into different ways to interact with varying levels of government and went into some details about who is responsible for what (county commissioners, city councilpeople, etc.). I truly found this book helpful and inspiring - I'm now looking for things to contact my local government about, and this book is helping me break down how to plan that out, what info to provide, and best ways to contact. Highly recommend picking this one up!

[Libby Ediger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great, actionable read if you are interested in finding your voice in our political process. Courtney Emerson does an excellent job of providing history and context to the political process, as well as providing work-book-like sections of the book for the reader to fill in. Would be a good gift to someone who is passionate about their issues.

[Tracie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very informative read. I definitely learned and highlighted a ton of stuff. I appreciate Courtney Emersons way of writing. She writes as if she is just hanging out with you and talking politics. I felt like she was answering every question for me, before I even asked.
If you are just beginning to look at ways to become more politically involved this book will answer all your questions. I promise!
A great must-read for every female in the United States.
Thank you to NetGalley, Courtney Emerson and BenBella Books for an Advanced Reader Copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

[Steve Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Your voice matters.
Courtney Emerson does a great job of providing a civics primer while explaining why and how to be active beyond voting. This should be taught in schools across the land.
This book is focused on what women, individually and collectively, can do to turn our political interests into policy. I like that she states, "this book will give you a bunch of things to think about, but won't tell you what to think, so it's a valuable tool no matter where your political interests lie." While the author obviously has her own political interests, I appreciated that she gave quotes of influential woman on both sides of the isle.

I loved the worksheets where she has you go find out who all of your different representatives are and provides links so that you don't have any excuse. She also provides links to find out where their contributions come from and how to stay informed. Next she has you define your passions and expertise to help you know where to focus your energy. And more.

I really liked how she stressed the importance of understanding and participating at politics locally, state wide, and federally. She also points out it's important to stay engaged after elections regardless of whose side won. We're also reminded it's important to listen and learn what the other side's point of view is and why.

Her facilitator told her "When you say things of consequence, there may be consequences. The alternative is to be inconsequential."

Note: I've downloaded a bunch of free, (mostly) random, pre-releases of books with the idea of expanding my range and helping authors get reviews. #netgalley

[Brandon Westlake · Rating 5 out of 5]

I teach at an all-girls school. I will be making sure that my students read this book. I find many of my students are looking for a roadmap to use to voice their opinion and Emerson gives one between these pages. She does so much in this book that is invaluable, that if you are or know females who have any sort of political leaning, you should introduce them to this work. She does a great job setting up the problem: why should women get involved, and speaks directly to their needs and issues. She hits the nail on the head: women want to see other women lead but that sentiment hasn't transferred into reality. The book is really great and giving a primer on the political system. I think this "workbook" style approach is great and would help individual citizens reflect but also students in a classroom setting.

I think what I really come away with from reading this book is what civic engagement looks like and some thoughts on how it can be carried out. There's theory here, but it's there for a larger purpose. There is some background and factual information, but it serves a larger purpose.

Emerson does a nice job viewing women in politics from many angles, looking at several opportunities where they can join in and make a difference. I think it is an inspiring book that could compel someone to step out of their comfort zone and make a positive change.

[B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a copy of this one in a Goodreads Giveaway. It took me longer to read than normal for things unrelated to the book - heavy workweek started just as it showed up in the mail, hands are ridiculously chapped due to weather and the cover was hella rough on already hurt-y skin, stuff like that. That being said, I did slow-roll read through it, and I have to say that while there were some things that I didn't particularly agree with, putting Sheryl Sandberg up on a pedestal for one, overall it's a pretty comprehensive book. I'm going to send it to my kid sister - I think she'll really get a lot out of it.

[Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a great book that gives you a path to getting more involved in government. The book is broken up into 3 sections: 1) explanation about how governments run from federal all the way to your hometown 2) information about how to find your interest and special area of focus and why it's important and 3) how to get involved in pushing forward your agenda.

Even if, or rather especially if, you don't consider yourself politically active, you should read this book. I think the saying goes, "all politics is local" and the more you educate and get involved the better policies you can help make.

[Ameneh Bordi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, informative, and useful -- what more do you want in a book?? I found this really helpful to take action during this time of massive turmoil; you can learn about the structure, make a plan, and track your progress all in one place. I loved that the author spent some good amount of time setting the stage for issues as well as breaking down the details -- I think it helps to be a more engaged citizen when you have both the big and the little picture. Will definitely be looking forward to turning back to this over time!

[Jeanne Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I had read this book in my twenties. I plan to encourage my grandchildren and anyone I can to read this book; its message is that important. While the book is geared toward women, every US citizen would benefit from reading it. The review of civics provided in the beginning of the book was a great lead-in. The valuable information and advice contained inside this book will be immeasurably helpful to anyone who takes the time to read it.

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

We, as women, need to educate ourselves on how and what the government represents for us and by us. This book enlightens that information in a positive way. It also shows you how you can be an instrument of change in this country. Moving forward we all need to learn more and extoll our own strengths to make this a place we want to live.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an extremely valuable resource for women who want to be more involved in the political process but don't know how. I feel empowered to do more than vote, and to make change happen. I feel like I understand my system of government better.

I appreciated that the author did not make judgments on any political leaning. This book is truly written for all women.

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not interested in politics, but I enjoyed listening to this audiobook. The narrator had a wonderful voice that kept me engaged. I would highly recommend this book to any woman especially those who want to become more active in politics, or more politically savvy.

[M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a good read.

[Ron Frampton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The future of America is your vote.

[Hillary Copsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a clear, actionable book aimed at getting women involved in politics.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative book. I especially liked the inclusion of the workbooks.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars only because I read this on my kindle so all the workbook items were a miss for me. Planning to buy a physical copy in the near future.