The Bill of Obligations
The Ten Habits of Good Citizens
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Narrated by:
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Richard Haass
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By:
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Richard Haass
About this listen
Watch the PBS companion documentary “A Citizen’s Guide to Preserving Democracy”
“An indispensable guide to good citizenship in an era of division and rancor.”—Anne Applebaum
There is no question that the United States faces dangerous threats from without; the greatest peril to the country, however, comes from within. In The Bill of Obligations, bestselling author Richard Haass argues that, to solve our climate of division and safeguard our democracy, the very idea of citizenship must be revised and expanded. The Bill of Rights is at the center of our Constitution, yet the most intractable conflicts often emerge from cases that, as former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer pointed out, “are not about right versus wrong. They are about right versus right.”
There is a way forward: to place obligations on the same footing as rights. The ten obligations that Haass introduces here reenvision what it means to be an American citizen, to commit to our fellow citizens and counter the growing apathy, anger, and violence that threaten us all.
Through an expert blend of civics, history, and political analysis, this book illuminates how Americans across the political spectrum can rediscover how to contribute to and reshape this country’s future.
©2023 Richard Haass (P)2023 Penguin AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
“Richard Haass has turned his keen mind and large heart to the most important of questions: The meaning of citizenship. If American democracy is to endure, it will require all of us to embrace what Haass calls our common obligations. This is a vital work for a decisive time.”—Jon Meacham, author of And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle
“Democracy is more than procedures and laws. It is an ethical ideal that requires much of us if it is to succeed. Richard Haass powerfully describes what he calls the Bill of Obligations, commitments and values needed for these challenging times. We may not see eye-to-eye on all the issues, but here I agree: we need a clear and thoughtful statement of our obligations to each other and to the country if this grand and fragile experiment in democracy is to survive. The Bill of Obligations does just that!”—Eddie Glaude, James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor, Princeton University
“Americans argue a lot about their rights, but, as Richard Haass reminds us, democracy only works if we also recognize our responsibilities. His newest book reminds us of what those are, providing an indispensable guide to good citizenship in an era of division and rancor.”—Anne Applebaum, author of Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism
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Two months before the 2016 presidential election, an anonymously published essay titled "The Flight 93 Election" rallied conservatives to charge the cockpit by voting for Trump. Michael Anton, the author of that controversial viral essay, now says that the last few years have only served to prove his Flight 93 thesis: The left has become more aggressive, more vindictive, and more dangerous - and the stakes have never been higher.
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America, this is your future
- By Sarah Carnello on 09-28-20
By: Michael Anton
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Temptations of Power
- Islamists & Illiberal Democracy in a New Middle East
- By: Shadi Hamid
- Narrated by: Peter Ganim
- Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1989, Francis Fukuyama famously announced the "end of history." The Berlin Wall had fallen; liberal democracy had won out. But what of illiberal democracy - the idea that popular majorities, working through the democratic process, might reject gender equality, religious freedoms, and other norms that Western democracies take for granted? Nowhere have such considerations become more relevant than in the Middle East, where the uprisings of 2011 swept the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist groups to power.
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A new perspective
- By Dave114 on 08-06-18
By: Shadi Hamid
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Enlightened Democracy
- The Case for the Electoral College, 2nd Edition
- By: Tara Ross
- Narrated by: Tara Ross
- Length: 7 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Enlightened Democracy traces the history of the Electoral College from the Constitutional Convention to the present. The Electoral College protects our republic and promotes our liberty. Americans should defend their unique presidential election system at all costs.
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Hold your breath
- By Ein on 03-13-20
By: Tara Ross
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Working Class Republican
- Ronald Reagan and the Return of Blue-Collar Conservatism
- By: Henry Olsen
- Narrated by: Derek Shetterly
- Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Conventional political wisdom views the two most consequential presidents of the 20th century - FDR and Ronald Reagan - as ideological opposites. FDR is hailed as the champion of big-government progressivism manifested in the New Deal. Reagan is seen as the crusader for conservatism dedicated to small government and free markets. But Henry Olsen argues that this assumption is wrong.
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Refreshing and insightful
- By Thomas Marks on 12-16-19
By: Henry Olsen
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Supreme Power
- 7 Pivotal Supreme Court Decisions That Had a Major Impact on America
- By: Ted Stewart
- Narrated by: Art Allen
- Length: 7 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Best-selling author Ted Stewart explains how the Supreme Court and its nine appointed members now stand at a crucial point in their power to hand down momentous and far-ranging decisions. Today's Court affects every major area of American life, from health care to civil rights, from abortion to marriage. This fascinating book reveals the complex history of the Court as told through seven pivotal decisions.
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Polemical, downright ridiculous at times
- By Joe Igla on 11-04-17
By: Ted Stewart
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Why We're Polarized
- By: Ezra Klein
- Narrated by: Ezra Klein
- Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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In Why We’re Polarized, Klein reveals the structural and psychological forces behind America’s descent into division and dysfunction. Neither a polemic nor a lament, this book offers a clear framework for understanding everything from Trump’s rise to the Democratic Party’s leftward shift to the politicization of everyday culture. America is polarized, first and foremost, by identity. Everyone engaged in American politics is engaged, at some level, in identity politics.
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Good as an intro, skip if you’re a wonk
- By Tony on 01-29-20
By: Ezra Klein
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American Secession
- The Looming Threat of a National Breakup
- By: F. H. Buckley
- Narrated by: John Pruden
- Length: 4 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Americans have never been more divided, and we're ripe for a breakup. The bitter partisan animosities, the legislative gridlock, the growing acceptance of violence in the name of political virtue - it all invites us to think that we'd be happier were we two different countries. There's another reason why secession beckons, says F. H. Buckley: we're too big. In population and area, the United States is one of the biggest countries in the world, and American Secession provides data showing that smaller countries are happier and less corrupt.
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GREAT TO MAKE YOU THINK
- By Brian on 03-01-23
By: F. H. Buckley
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The Crisis of the Middle-Class Constitution
- Why Economic Inequality Threatens Our Republic
- By: Ganesh Sitaraman
- Narrated by: MacLeod Andrews
- Length: 12 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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For most of Western history, Sitaraman argues, constitutional thinkers assumed economic inequality was inevitable and inescapable - and they designed governments to prevent class divisions from spilling over into class warfare. The American Constitution is different. Compared to Europe and the ancient world, America was a society of almost unprecedented economic equality, and the founding generation saw this equality as essential for the preservation of America's republic.
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Very well done
- By JLyman on 08-27-17
By: Ganesh Sitaraman
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Big Agenda
- President Trump's Plan to Save America
- By: David Horowitz
- Narrated by: Ian Patterson
- Length: 3 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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One battle is over, but there are many more to come. This book is an indispensable guide to fighting the opponents of the conservative restoration. It identifies who the adversaries are, as well as their methods, motivations, and agenda, including the particular issues with which they will try to advance their destructive goal - and it lays out a strategy to defeat all of it.
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Title doesn't match content.
- By Gigi on 02-12-17
By: David Horowitz
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The Socialist Temptation
- By: Iain Murray
- Narrated by: James Langton
- Length: 6 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Just 30 years ago, socialism seemed utterly discredited. An economic, moral, and political failure, socialism had rightly been thrown on the ash heap of history after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Unfortunately, bad ideas never truly go away — and socialism has come back with a vengeance. A generation of young people who don’t remember the misery that socialism inflicted on Russia and Eastern Europe is embracing it all over again.
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Full Of Important Insights
- By Ralph Alderson on 12-17-20
By: Iain Murray
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The Hidden History of the Supreme Court and the Betrayal of America
- The Thom Hartmann Hidden History Series
- By: Thom Hartmann
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 4 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Taking his typically in-depth, historically informed view, Thom Hartmann asks: What if the Supreme Court didn't have the power to strike down laws? According to the Constitution, it doesn't. From the founding of the republic until 1803, the Supreme Court was the final court of appeals, as it was always meant to be. So where did the concept of judicial review start? As so much of modern American history, it began with the battle between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists, and with Marbury v. Madison.
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A must read to understand why voting is essential.
- By Brandon WIlliams on 10-05-19
By: Thom Hartmann
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We the Fallen People
- The Founders and the Future of American Democracy
- By: Robert Tracy McKenzie
- Narrated by: Bob Souer
- Length: 10 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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We the Fallen People presents a close look at the ideas of human nature to be found in the history of American democratic thought. McKenzie, following C. S. Lewis, claims there are only two reasons to believe in majority rule: because we have confidence in human nature - or because we don't. The Founders subscribed to the biblical principle that humans are fallen and their virtue is always doubtful, and they wrote the US Constitution to frame a republic intended to handle our weaknesses.
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Thoughtful reflection and historical perspective, but ultimately no easy answer
- By Brandon on 03-28-23
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The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Presidents
- From Wilson to Obama
- By: Steven F. Hayward
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Academics, journalists, and popular historians agree: our greatest presidents are the ones who confronted a national crisis and mobilized the entire nation to face it. That’s the conventional wisdom. The chief executives who are celebrated in textbooks and placed in the top echelon of presidents in surveys of experts are the bold leaders - the Woodrow Wilsons and Franklin Roosevelts - who reshaped the United States in line with their grand “vision” for America. Unfortunately, along the way, these “great” presidents inevitably expanded government - and shrank our liberties.
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Really enjoyed it
- By Jkc-007 on 02-15-17
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What listeners say about The Bill of Obligations
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- DAW
- 01-30-23
Great Book
After listening to this book on Audible I’ve decided to purchase it as a reference book. Civics has always seemed elusive in our education system for apparently many reasons… none of which are good. We owe at least a basic understanding of our country’s foundational principles lest we flounder and lose our democracy.
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- Henry
- 02-27-23
Insightful & Powerful
Richard Haass effectively outlines tens habits to be good citizens. His proposals are well thoughtout and acceptable for any reasonable American citizen. I appreciated how he highlighted communication and compromise as the keys to effective resolution.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Myron
- 05-22-23
Important
Short and generally common sense but important reminders of the perils that face our democracy and what we as ordinary citizens have as obligations.
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- Rhonda Gehring
- 07-03-23
Motivating
Excellent!! We should be obligated!!! Great ideas and thoughts to motivate the average joe /Jane to move from political couch potato to political activist and preserve our democracy!
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- David Hume Lindsay
- 11-20-24
Back in the habit
Some good behaviors and ideas you already know, but in real life you forget to practice or preach them. This book is very concise yet motivating force to get back in the habit of being a good citizen.
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- Kindle Customer Frank E. Norman III
- 01-28-23
Trying His Best to Be Balenced
My now and future reviews will have a recommendation first and then a review. Respect for time is my reason. This book is worth the cost of purchase and then some: This book in which I have both in hard copy and audible is a great book for the test of being a citizen. Inhabiting a space does not make you a good citizen but along with enjoying the privilege taking on the responsibility makes you a good citizen. This book shares what some of that responsibility is. As an Black American I expected the worst but got the better. Being a Baby boomer I had to take civic courses in school along with state history and American history. I was totally surprised at the lack of informed people and this book explained both the problem and a cure. He did not shirk the fact that America has not only not lived up to it’s creed "E Pluribus Unum” out of many one even if not t was only mentioned multiple times and not detailed. I think this book should be both read and discussed in book clubs and forums on American citizenship by diverse Americans. Former Europeans this book is for you. Original inhabitants you can add much to his thesis. Former slaves you are not forgotten but this book leaves much room for your input. Our brown brothers and sisters of Hispanic and Latin descent you too have much to add but the book is a perfect spring board. Last but not least if you have come recently enough and or desire citizenship this book will help you keep from being disillusioned by what you experience vs your expectations.
PS the one additional comment to the above suggestions is this. Local history should be some how added. Your city,town, village or whatever has a distinct founding that makes it what it is. If you live there you should know at least some of it.
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5 people found this helpful
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- Nice guy
- 03-11-23
Short, Thoughtful, Reflective Book
At age 70, I listened to this book and used it in my own reflective practice to evaluate my public service. I found it interesting to see how what I chose to do with my life fulfilled or neglected the obligations of a good citizen as spelled out so aptly by Mr. Haass. I found that my life was spent in service to others, but lacked the depth of meaning that I should have developed over time. I made many good decisions, but I lacked a framework such as this to make it more meaningful. Based on that reflection I could also see how a young person, just starting our in life, could use the book as a touchstone to see how they are supporting our country and what choices they make can enhance the direction it will take in their lifetime.Mr. Haass has a wonderful way of making the listener think about the course of this country by telling us that that course is dependent on all of us who call the United States home. Please listen to this book regardless of your political bias or age, because fulfilling our obligations as citizens will assure that our democracy continues into the future. Thanks Mr. Haass for making me reflect on my past service and what it means to be a citizen in the greatest country on earth. Let's keep it that way.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Mike
- 02-26-23
Enlightening
This book is dangerously nonpartisan, I fear what might happen should all people regardless of party read and adhere to the guidance in this book. We just might get along and respect this great country again.
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1 person found this helpful
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- L Poole
- 02-05-23
Intriguing message
If all Americans tried to use the info presented we would be a better democratic republic.
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- Tanner
- 01-26-23
Required reading for all citizens to support civic engagement
Loved this book. The author distills the controversial issue of teaching and promoting civics literacy, by offering a compelling framework that is approachable. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know.
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