Book Launch: Democracy’s Second Act
Come join Richard Johnson and Simon Pek on Feb 25 for the launch of “Democracy’s Second Act: Why Politics Needs the Public”! (With all that’s going on in the world, let’s tap some optimism about the future!). Register here.
ABOUT THE EVENT
Join co-author Richard Johnson and University of Victoria professor Simon Pek for an engaging discussion about why frustration and polarization are rising and how reclaiming the power of the public can lead to a more hopeful political future. Drawing on examples from Canada, Ireland, France, and beyond, they’ll discuss why democracy isn’t broken but stuck, and how giving more people real responsibility—not just a periodic vote—can renew democratic life. The 30-minute conversation will be followed by audience questions, and a reception and book signing with the author.
Doors open at 6:30pm for 7pm start.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Democracy’s Second Act explores why frustration and polarization are on the rise—and how reclaiming the power of the public can lead to a more hopeful political future.
Democracy isn’t broken. It’s stuck. Around the world, people are growing angry and polarized not because they’ve stopped caring, but because democracy has stopped evolving. The result isn’t apathy; it’s a rising sense of political futility.
In Democracy’s Second Act, Peter MacLeod and Richard Johnson argue that the first act of democracy—anchored in voting rights and representative government—achieved extraordinary gains. Free elections, near-universal suffrage, and the peaceful transfer of power reshaped societies and expanded human freedom. But these achievements represent the promise of democracy, not its completion.
The book offers a hopeful, clear-eyed vision for what comes next. Drawing on groundbreaking citizens’ assemblies in Ireland, Canada, and France—as well as democratic innovations from more than a dozen countries—MacLeod and Johnson show how democracy can build on its first act by creating new institutions that tap into the talents, judgment, and capabilities of ordinary people. They make the case that the public isn’t a risk to be managed, but a powerful resource ready to be harnessed—and that the future depends on giving citizens real responsibility, not just a periodic vote.
Smart, story-driven, and deeply grounded in political theory and practice, Democracy’s Second Act is for changemakers ready to move beyond cynicism and rebuild democracy for a new era. Learn more about the book and pre-order here
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Richard Johnson is a former journalist and now a policy director at MASS LBP. His writing has appeared in The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, The Walrus, Reader’s Digest, This Magazine, The New Quarterly, and many others. A former Fellow in Literary Journalism at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, he was also a longtime writer for the award-winning podcast Trailblazers, with Walter Isaacson.
Peter MacLeod is the founder and principal of MASS LBP where for nearly two decades he has been at the forefront of democratic innovation championing a new approach to politics that gives more people a seat at the table. A trusted advisor to governments at all levels, he is one of Canada’s leading voices on democracy, active citizenship and working with the public.
