No Shortcuts: Organizing for Power in the New Gilded Age
A veteran labor and community organizer distinguishes between mobilizing and organizing — and argues that progressive movements keep failing because they substitute the former for the latter. Includes detailed case studies of strikes and campaigns that built durable power versus those that burned out.
Key Takeaways
- Critical distinction between mobilizing (events) and organizing (power)
- Why progressive movements keep failing despite large turnout
- Detailed case studies of strikes and campaigns that built lasting power
- Contrast between durable organizing and flash-in-the-pan mobilization
- Written by a veteran labor organizer with decades of field results
McAlevey identifies the single biggest mistake progressive movements make: confusing mobilization with organization. Getting people to show up is not the same as building durable power. This book explains the difference with specific case studies and provides the organizing framework that produces results that last beyond the news cycle.
Jane F. McAlevey was a veteran labor organizer, negotiator, and scholar who spent decades building and studying effective worker and community organizations. Her work bridged academic research and frontline organizing, producing some of the most practical power-building analysis available.
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