News
Senator Bob Graham's America, the Owner's Manual Helps Readers Make Government Work for Them
Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore and Washington DC (April 16, 2009) - Senator Bob Graham has spent decades as a public servant, both in Florida and in Washington DC. He is now focusing his efforts on training the next generation of public leaders and getting them engaged with the political system to effect change. In his new book, America, the Owner's Manual, just published by CQ Press, Graham details how citizens can go beyond classroom learning about politics and actually play the political game.
"Bob Graham provides a roadmap-a how-to guide-to help each of us do a better job of making our democracy work for all people."
-Richard W. Riley,
Former U. S. Secretary of Education and Former Governor of
South Carolina
"If you want to be a part of the political action instead
of sitting in the grandstands,
then Bob Graham's America, The Owner's Manual is for you."
-Senator Lamar Alexander,
Former U.S. Education Secretary and Former Governor of Tennessee
This short, how-to guide takes readers out of theoretical discussions of policy and into a world where they can affect real change. America, the Owner's Manual walks through each step, from identifying the problem and researching the issue to getting others involved and engaging the media.
Each chapter starts with a real case, showing citizens tackling a step in the process, and ends with a checklist and a series of questions to help put Graham's game plan in action. By offering concrete guidance, an array of resources, and advice for troubleshooting and overcoming barriers, this compact user's guide moves far beyond traditional learning.
Widely praised by such key public servants as New Jersey Governor and former EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman, Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, and Derek Bok, former president of Harvard University, America, the Owner's Manual began to take root 35 years ago when as a Florida state legislator Graham taught civic education at a Miami-area high school. Serving as a governor and a senator strengthened his resolve to pique young citizens' curiosity about politics and teach them how to become active participants in their government.
Bob Graham was a two-term Florida governor before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986 for the first of three consecutive terms. As a U.S. Senator, Graham was an active member of the Senate Finance Committee. He served as Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, where he provided key leadership before and after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. After retiring from public office in early 2005, Graham spent a year at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government as a senior fellow and is now chairing the Board of Oversight of the University of Florida's Bob Graham Center for Public Service, which is committed to training the next generation of public policy leaders.
Chris Hand is an attorney with the law firm of Terrell Hogan in Jacksonville, Florida. He previously served as press secretary, speechwriter, and campaign press secretary for Senator Graham and as campaign manager for Florida's Chief Financial Officer, Alex Sink. A graduate of Princeton University and the University of Florida, Hand is active in a variety of local and state civic issues.
America: The Owner's Manual in the News
- The Chronicle of Higher Education was forwarded
to you
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