The Politics of Hope: Reviving the Dream of Democracy

The Politics of Hope: Reviving the Dream of Democracy
by Donna Zajonc

Paperback * 224 pages
$19.00

Synergy Books
ISBN 978-0974764481

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In these presidential campaign days in the U.S. of A. we have politics perpetually on the brain, and once again we’re wondering what went wrong. Surely this media mud-wrestling is not what the founders intended.

Enter Donna Zajonc, an author with impressive and eclectic credentials. A Registered Nurse all too familiar with death and dying, she was recently married and had just reached the ripe age of 28 when a friend (a politico of some note) suggested she had the stuff of a successful public servant. She accepted the challenge, ran for office (”Zajonc: Just Say John”), and although in campaign midstream she discovered she was (egads!) pregnant with her first daughter, the author persevered. Not only that, but to the consternation of the old guard in her state, she won. The place was to get a rapid education in how a professional woman just coming of age in the 70s, newly elected to public office, would handle motherhood and public office in tandem.

This maverick state legislator was elected to another two terms and then, as the good ones in politics so often do, became jaded and deeply disillusioned, leaving the scene to succeed wildly in business. But the notion of public service (with an emphasis on service) still called to her, and in time Zajonc emerged from her political malaise. Now as an executive coach specializing in non-partisan work with public leaders, she teaches and lives the principles put forth in The Politics of Hope: that we must evolve from fear to hope if we are to change the face of politics as we now know it, so that once again we may, without flinching, look ourselves in the mirror.

First published in 2004, The Politics of Hope presents the Four Stages of Political Evolution, which brilliantly charts a transformational course that Zajonc clearly considers to be absolutely vital, especially for disillusioned citizens of an ailing democracy. These four transformational stages, inspired by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’ stages of death & dying, are synopsized as follows:

“From Stage One Anarchy to Stage Two Traditionalism (the two-party war) we remain polarized and afraid of one another, unable to accomplish our common goals. In Stage Three Political Resignation we stand at the doorway to Stage Four Conscious Public Leadership, of the Politics of Hope. In Stage Four we join the greatest leaders of humanity, by putting we before me. Our political life then reflects the spirit of cooperation, mutual inspiration, and unwavering concern for the collective good.”

The outcome, as the author points up, invoking the voices of historic leaders such as Ghandi, King, and others, is no less than an enlightened society. Interestingly, shortly after Zajonc’s 2004 title was released, its seeming oxymoron was invoked by two other tired-of-politics-as-usual candidates: John Edwards in his 2004 bid for the U.S. Presidency, and (more famously now due to the bestseller status of The Audacity of Hope and the immense popularity of its author) Illinois Sen. Barack Obama in his 2004 Keynote Address to the Democratic National Convention.Folks in need of positive reading at a time when too often the U.S. political process is no more than a junkyard scuffle, will welcome Zajonc’s The Politics of Hope. It offers not only rhetoric (we’ve all heard plenty of that) but fresh air and a map by which to reach higher ground. This is a book for those who realize that, in a democracy, it’s not “they” who are going to change things for the better; it’s us.

Ceci Miller owns CeciBooks, an editorial and book publishing consultancy that empowers authors to write, publish, and market irresistible books that uplift and inspire. Ceci has written, co-authored, and edited books with bestselling authors and experts since 1988. See book projects here.

A graduate of the University of Iowa Writer’s Workshop, Ceci Miller is also the author of two published children’s picture books, and former contributing editor for Darshan, an international magazine dedicated to fostering sacred awareness in daily life. A student of yoga and meditation since 1976, Ceci leads seminars that explore language as a vehicle for personal transformation. Based on her book (and audio) Sacred Visitations, and the popular book she co-authored with John Lee, Writing from the Body: For Writers, Artists & Dreamers, Ceci’s work (both with CeciBooks authors and in public programs) blends writing and intuitive guidance with contemplative practices that connect your right brain creativity with your true intention.