Braver Angels Book Club: "The Bill of Obligations"

Book Club Topic:
Join us for our online book discussion. This month, we will be discussing The Bill of Obligations by Dr. Richard Haass.

* Restricted Attendance: Having read the book in advance will allow you to fully participate in this discussion. If you don't have time, check out this CFR webinar with Richard Haass where they discuss his book - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yukNYr-RfPs

In The Bill of Obligations, Richard Haass argues that for American democracy to survive, or better yet thrive, the very idea of citizenship must be revised and expanded. The Bill of Rights is at the center of our Constitution, yet our most intractable conflicts often emerge from contrasting views as to what our rights ought to be. As former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer pointed out, “Many of our cases, the most difficult ones, are not about right versus wrong. They are about right versus right.” The lesson is clear: rights alone cannot provide the basis for a functioning, much less flourishing, democracy.

The Bill of Obligations is divided into two main sections. The first includes chapters devoted to rights and their limits and to the causes and consequences of democratic deterioration. They provide a primer of the structure and history of American democracy and how rights came to occupy so central a place within it.

The second part of the book introduces the ten obligations for good citizenship that if adopted by U.S. citizens would go a long way toward ameliorating the issues. These obligations are:
1. Be informed
2. Get involved
3. Stay open to compromise
4. Remain civil
5. Reject violence
6. Value norms
7. Promote the common good
8. Respect government service
9. Support the teaching of civics
10. Put country first

Registering for the Online Event:
This is a FREE event; however, you will need to register for it. Go to the following link & fill out the registration form, and when you hit "register" you'll receive an email with a link to the Zoom meeting (check your Junk folder if you don't see it):
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/book-discussion-the-bill-of-obligations-by-dr-richard-haass-registration-1364591212049?aff=oddtdtcreator&discount=BRAVER

About the Author:
Dr. Richard Haass is an experienced diplomat and policymaker who served in the Pentagon, State Department, and White House under four presidents, Democrats and Republicans alike.

What is "Braver Angels"?
Formerly known as "Better Angels", Braver Angels is an organization founded in 2016 to depolarize American politics through grassroots organizing. They do this primarily by hosting events for cross-partisan dialogue & civil debate. To learn more, go to https://braverangels.org/