Real Change:
From the World That Fails to the World That Works
Newt Gingrich with Vince Haley and Rick Tyler
Regnery Publishing, Inc.
1/31/08
Hardcover/310 pages
ISBN: 978-1-59698-053-2
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". . . one of our best political thinkers and communicators . . ."

In 1994 Newt Gringrich’s Contract with America ushered in the Republican Revolution that transformed the federal government. It outlined ten bills Republican candidates promised to bring to the House floor for a vote within one hundred days of taking office when they became the majority party.

In his latest book, Real Change, the former House Speaker outlines a “Platform of the American People” based on common values and surveys he has done to determine how most citizens want the government to act on the problems we face. (The solutions Gingrich offers are laid out in detail in the last part of the book. I advise readers to start with Part Three if discovering his solutions interests you.)

Among the solutions: Making English the official language of government; protecting the religious and moral statements in the Pledge of Allegiance and the Declaration of Independence; establishing a real-time immigration status verification system and outsourcing it to a company like MasterCard; spending more money on science and math education; giving tax credits to homeowners for alternative energy systems and tax incentives to companies with headquarters in the United States and imposing the death penalty on terrorists who attack our country.

In chapter 12, Gingrich discusses a real change for Social Security worthy of his reputation as one of our best political thinkers and communicators. In a direct, simple manner, he argues for passage of a plan proposed in 2007 by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) and Sen. John Sununu (R-New Hampshire). The plan addresses concerns put forth by privatization opponents. The legislation, which has not been well-publicized, deserves bipartisan support.

If office holders followed Gingrich’s advice on Social Security alone, they could transform our government in an even more profound way than the Contract with America did a decade ago.

Reviewer: Laureen Gibson Gilroy