b'There\\u2019s good reason to worry about the future of democracy, and little reason to believe Democrats have a viable plan for protecting it. They built their strategy around passing a major suite of voting reforms and protections through Congress, and a few weeks back, their whole agenda collapsed in the face of the filibuster. So what now? Is there a Plan B for protecting democracy?\\n\\nYes. But it begins with realizing that there is no national solution in a country that administers elections at the state and local levels. Which means it begins with realizing that many Democrats have made a mistake: They\\u2019ve focused so much on national conflicts that they\\u2019ve ceded state and local power to the right, with dangerous results. Trumpists can\\u2019t pass some big national bill putting Trump back in office, so they are organizing to win the state and local offices that will hold power over the process next time. Democracy\\u2019s defenders need to do the same. And that means you.\\n\\nAmanda Litman is a co-founder of Run for Something, which recruits and supports young, progressive candidates who want to run for office. And so this is a conversation about the mechanics of American democracy, the confusions and myths that keep so many of us from participating in them and the practical question of what it means to step off the sidelines and, well, run for something. We talk about why Democrats tend to chase \\u201cshiny objects\\u201d over real political power, what right-leaning organizations have been up to that liberals should envy, how you probably have more control over issues like abortion and climate change than you think, what it actually takes to run a local campaign, the three questions prospective candidates should be able to answer, and more.\\n\\nThis isn\\u2019t a conversation raging against the decaying of American democracy. This is a conversation about saving that democracy by participating at its most fundamental level: the local level. The one where you can have the most impact. And so it\\u2019s the rare conversation about democracy that left me feeling better, rather than worse, about what\\u2019s possible. I think it\\u2019ll do the same for you.\\n\\nThis episode contains strong language.\\n\\nMentioned:\\n\\nThe Ezra Klein Show is hiring a managing producer. Learn more here.\\n\\nFrom ProPublica: \\u201cHeeding Steve Bannon\\u2019s Call, Election Deniers Organize to Seize Control of the GOP \\u2014 and Reshape America\\u2019s Elections\\u201d by Isaac Arnsdorf, Doug Bock Clark, Alexandra Berzon and Anjeanette Damon\\n\\nWhat It Takes by Richard Ben Cramer\\n\\nFind out what elected offices you can run for\\n\\nBook recommendations:\\n\\nThe Heart Principle by Helen Hoang\\n\\nOlga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez\\n\\nLet\\u2019s Get Physical by Danielle Friedman\\n\\nThoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ezrakleinshow@nytimes.com.\\n\\nYou can find transcripts (posted midday) and more episodes of \\u201cThe Ezra Klein Show\\u201d at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast, and you can find Ezra on Twitter @ezraklein. Book recommendations from all our guests are listed at https://www.nytimes.com/article/ezra-klein-show-book-recs.\\n\\n\\u201cThe Ezra Klein Show\\u201d is produced by Annie Galvin, Jeff Geld and Rog\\xe9 Karma; fact-checking by Michelle Harris; original music by Isaac Jones; mixing by Jeff Geld; audience strategy by Shannon Busta. Our executive producer is Irene Noguchi. Special thanks to Kristin Lin.'