"In other words, this is an intelligent book, though not one that talks over the heads of its main subject: regular people."
For Richard and I there could truly be no sweeter praise. Thank you!
reviewcanada.ca/magazine/202...
"(Here in Canada) oil and gas, which is largely foreign-owned, largely U.S.-owned, aren’t doing their part. (Instead)...increasing our emissions and ...demanding that Canadian taxpayers pay the bill for cleaning up the pollution they cause and building pipelines they won’t risk their own money on.”
“If we’re looking for the single red line in Alberta it’s Premier Danielle Smith’s decision to ignore independent boundary commission.. potentially torquing the rules and bringing something Canadians don’t want: gerrymandering!” 🚨🇨🇦 @petermacleod.bsky.social
🔗 youtu.be/4Mvz21Fx4WA?si…
#Ableg 👀
Did Ford’s Gravy Plane fiasco show us power of protest leading into April 25? Can we stop Alberta’s Danielle Smith from gerrymandering? What can Canadians DO to protect our democracy at all levels including Carney’s PMO? 🇨🇦
Author @petermacleod.bsky.social on The OShow youtu.be/4Mvz21Fx4WA?...
"This weekend, the Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, and Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula Silva, will meet in Barcelona with the heads of states of South Africa, Mexico, Colombia and many more countries to press ahead [with a global minimum tax]."
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Again: for any big liberal donor who wants to funnel millions into fixing this country's politics, the ROI on buying any struggling paper and simply tasking it with doing real reporting on local news is vastly higher than the same $$ given to some group that does mass ad buys every election year.
If oil prices remain at current levels for the next 12 months, the Canadian oil industry is on track to make $90bn in profits, which is $60bn more than it would have earned without the war...Applying 15% rate on excess profits of oil industry could generate $9 billion over the next 12 months. ⬇️
Gas tax breaks are bandaids at best. Real solution is to help low & middle-income Cdns get off fossil fuels. Invest in solar, heat pumps, batteries, EVs. Tackle barriers, offer real incentives & fund w/ windfall tax on Big Oil (who are laughing all the way to the bank). Cleaner, cheaper, healthier.
icymi: @petermacleod.bsky.social tells @spaikin.bsky.social about Canada's greatest democratic export, and why we need more of it here are home youtu.be/sJkcIusZPdU?... cc: @therundowntvo.bsky.social
I’d love to! You can contact me here or at democracyssecondact.org
I really enjoyed talking with @ambermac.bsky.social about why we can feel hopeful about a more democratic future
Democracy doesn’t end at the ballot box. That’s where it’s supposed to begin.
Democracy’s Second Act shows how to build institutions that tap public insight, not just measure public opinion.
Discover more: bit.ly/4tgmpuX
@petermacleod.bsky.social @richard-tk.bsky.social
All public opinion research is based on models. But the more we take people out of politics - and polling - the more we cheapen and degrade democracy.
On the left: an image of a credit card that features a headshot photo of US president Donald Trump. On the right: text that reads “Why your credit card is a national security concern. Every Visa and Mastercard purchase runs through a US network that can be weaponized against Canada.”
There’s a simple way to test a country’s sovereignty: Can it govern its own markets? Writer Vass Bednar argues Canada can’t—not while a foreign power can shut off our payment networks at will. The UK is building alternatives. Are we? https://ow.ly/3PLJ50YEH3S
Richard and I talk in today’s Star about our book and why participation is the best antidote to polarization
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Bad, bad, bad. Also dumb.
It’s Called Silicon Sampling, and It’s Going to Ruin Public Opinion Polling www.nytimes.com/2026/04/06/o...
Join me in Innisfil, April 23, 6-7:30
The great Ethan Porter reviews Helene Landemore's new book Politics without Politicians:
democracyjournal.org/magazine/80/...
The future is Finnish
Essential reading to understand what national and civic resilience should look like
www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...
Crazy talk
What if everyday people had a real say in the decisions that shape their communities? Join us on April 27th at Columbia University for a conversation with @petermacleod.bsky.social and @landemore.bsky.social about this very question. RSVP: www.eventbrite.com/e/fixing-our...
Joie de Livres with @doctrott.bsky.social
Tonight, 7pm
Tix: democracyssecondact.org
From Irish referendums to Canadian citizens’ panels and French climate conventions, ordinary people are already rewriting how decisions get made.
Democracy’s Second Act tells their story.
Read more: bit.ly/4tgmpuX
#CDNpoli @petermacleod.bsky.social @richard-tk.bsky.social
Two Australian states, Victoria and Tasmania, are temporarily making public transport free in an effort to insulate residents from the widening oil shock from the Iran war.
Who decides whether or not stabilized rents are raised? Meet the Rent Guidelines Board.
Here's what you should know about the board and how to make your voice heard.
New Yorkers, join us in the first ever Mayor’s Municipal Madness: a competition of city fixes where everyone wins.
Pick your fix and vote here:
nyc.gov/madness
People get it especially when politicians refuse to act
Juries Take the Lead in the Push for Child Online Safety www.nytimes.com/2026/03/26/t...
“The book is really an invitation… to practice a more grown up kind of politics.” — @petermacleod.bsky.social joins @spaikin.bsky.social on TVO Today Live to talk citizen assemblies, democratic fragility, and his new book “Democracy’s Second Act.”
If the customer doesn’t like the product, force them to buy it. 🙄
The public gets it. But governments refuse to act.
