This is a story of hope, but also of peril. It began when a polarized political class started conscripting everyday citizens into its culture war. Partisan elites have always thrived on conflict, but increasingly they’re convincing everyday Americans to join the fray.

Why do we feel such animosity toward our fellow citizens, our neighbors, our own kin? Because we’ve fallen for the false narrative that citizens who happen to vote Democrat or Republican are enthusiastic supporters of Team Blue or Team Red. Aside from a minority of  partisans, however, most voters are simply trying to choose the lesser of two evils.

The real threat to our union isn’t Red vs. Blue America, it’s the slow erosion of self-governance. Partisans have erected a system in which ordinary citizens don’t have a voice in the decisions that affect our lives. From foreign wars to local libraries, authority no longer resides with We the People.

This is the story of how that happened and what we can do about it.

Praise for I, Citizen

“Woodlief, I believe, offers a compelling explanation for one of the great curiosities of our time: Why our day-to-day lives can seem pretty good while we sense that things are terribly wrong in America.

– Andy Smarick, Senior Fellow, Manhattan Institute

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“Tony Woodlief brings a searchlight to bear on the divisive ideologues working among us to destroy ‘the reservoir of goodwill that characterized American civil life for generations.'”

– Jeff Minick, Smoky Mountain News

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“Tony Woodlief explains why localizing politics and loving thy neighbor can help heal our ailing country.”

– Bill Kauffman, author,
        Dispatches from the
Muckdog Gazette