George Lakey

is a retired professor at Swarthmore College and a longtime activist, sociologist, and writer. His books include How We Win: A Guide for Nonviolent Direct Action Campaigning and Viking Economics: How the Scandinavians Got It Right and How We Can, Too.

Articles By This Author

Opinion | Democracy

The Myth That Violence Keeps Us Safe

A romanticized belief in violence renders people irrational to the point of hurting ourselves, over and over again.

George Lakey | Feb 28, 2022

Opinion | Economy

The Nordic Secret to Battling Coronavirus: Trust

It’s not just that Norway has universal single-payer health care. Norwegians know that they depend on each other, and they trust their government to get it right.

George Lakey | Mar 17, 2020

Opinion | Economy

What the U.S. Economy Can Learn From the Nordic Model

The U.S. economic system contributes to ongoing crises of addiction and mental health. The Scandinavians figured out the solutions decades ago.

George Lakey | Jan 17, 2020

Opinion | Economy

The Green New Deal: Movements (Finally) Get Visionary Again

It’s bold, it’s inclusive. And Ocasio-Cortez and the young generation behind it understand that economic power needs to be met by people power.

George Lakey | Jan 28, 2019

Democracy

In Norway, Racism Is Losing. Here’s Why

The Scandinavian success comes from focusing on economic justice and making immigrant success stories more visible.

George Lakey | Dec 15, 2017

Economy

A Manual for the New Era of Activist

Movement-building approaches from the civil rights era get a 2017 update.

George Lakey | Aug 4, 2017

Issues

How Norway Avoided Becoming a Fascist State

Instead of falling to the Nazi party, Norway broke through to a social democracy. Their history shows us polarization is nothing to despair over.

George Lakey | Feb 16, 2017

Democracy

A 10-Point Plan to Stop Trump—And Make Gains in Justice and Equality

The first step? Recognize that we represent the majority.

George Lakey | Jan 31, 2017

Democracy

Standing Rock and the Return of the Nonviolent Campaign

There’s something even better than electoral politics and one-off protests when mobilizing citizen power.

George Lakey | Jan 6, 2017

Social Justice

The Hopeful Thing About Our Ugly, Painful Polarization

Look to Norway and Sweden, where cooperative, socially democratic countries emerged after a frightening period of extreme polarization and social fracturing.

George Lakey | Nov 14, 2016

George Lakey

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