The Civic Awakening

When Voting No Longer Suffices

What if democracy had become a performance — and citizens, mere spectators?
In an age of noise, speed, and polarization, The Civic Awakening invites us to step back, think slowly, and question deeply.

More than a political essay, this is a call to civic lucidity — a defense of doubt, complexity, and democratic responsibility. With sharp clarity and moral urgency, Dario Mangano challenges the illusions of modern democracies: passive voting, political branding, algorithmic power, and the slow erosion of collective vigilance.

This book is not a protest. It is not an ideology.
It is a mirror.

Drawing from philosophy, sociology, and history, The Civic Awakening exposes the drift from self-government to spectacle — and reclaims what democracy was meant to be: the shared authorship of a people who refuse resignation.

Whether you're a student, educator, activist, or simply a citizen in search of meaning, this book offers tools — not slogans — for recovering your role in the democratic story.

US Edition — Adapted for an American audience from the French original Le Réveil Citoyen (2025).

“The awakening begins here: in the simple act of thinking — freely, fearlessly, together.”