Description:
Americans born between 1961 and 1981 have been given many labels, including "Generation X," "slackers," "apathetic," and "lost." This book, by the youngest person to have written for the New York Times editorial page, overhauls that generational stereotype by looking at Gen-X political activism--an area, she says, in which this generation has been working for change. Mitchell's narrative weaves together the stories of several of the young and politically gung ho and their runs for political office, voter registration drives, Internet activism, and grassroots community work. What she finds, contrary to media pigeonholing, is an active, informed, computer-literate group unlike any that has gone before. "When it came to politics," she writes, "we said 'show me' when offered a promise. We believed in only what we could see with our own eyes. We demanded accountability. We did not unconditionally offer up our loyalty." As the "18-35s" come into power, the author envisions a generation less interested in party affiliation and slippery candidate promises than in real action and serious issues. Instead of Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative, she says, "be prepared for variations of 'independent.'" Those seeking clues to where American politics is heading at the end of the century might do well to start their search here. --Maria Dolan
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