You're More Powerful Than You Think: A Citizen’s Guide to Making Change Happen
Themes: Civic Power • Democratic Engagement • Everyday Agency
Audience: Emerging organizers, community leaders, movement builders, civic educators
A practical and poetic guide to reclaiming citizen power in a time of division, distraction, and disillusionment.
By Eric Liu | Paperback, 256 pages
Purchase on Bookshop.org
Author: Eric Liu | Citizens University
Summary
In You're More Powerful Than You Think, Eric Liu presents a framework for everyday people to understand and wield civic power. Drawing from history, activism, organizing, and storytelling, Liu outlines the principles behind how power works and how anyone—regardless of background—can participate in shaping change.
Instead of offering a step-by-step manual or policy agenda, Liu invites readers to reimagine citizenship as an active, creative role. With urgency and optimism, he breaks down power into clear patterns and equips readers to see, claim, and use power in ways that serve the common good.
Key Concepts
Power is everywhere – Learn to see how it flows and who shapes it.
You don’t need permission – Influence doesn't require a title or office.
Power is not a dirty word – Reframing power as something we build and share.
Create your own civic script – Don’t just demand change, author it.
Citizen is a verb – Citizenship is about showing up, speaking out, and connecting.
Why It Matters
This book is foundational for those who feel disconnected from traditional politics or unsure how to contribute. Liu demystifies power and provides a roadmap for civic agency—particularly valuable in the face of polarization, inequality, and distrust. It’s a call to move from cynicism to creativity, helping readers unlock their own potential to shape institutions, narratives, and outcomes.
How It Aligns with The Change Lab
Encourages Civic Literacy and Community Voice & Power
Acts as a catalyst for Bridging Across Difference and Public Advocacy
Resonates deeply with Change Lab values of equity, agency, and shared responsibility
Supports personal transformation as a gateway to systems change
Strategic Alignment
Service Area Domains:
Governance
Systems Change
Community
Pathway Subjects:
Civic Literacy
Bridging Across Difference
Community Voice & Power
Public Advocacy
