Sponsored by
Neighbors Welcome! and Grow Smart RI Host Marc Dunkelman Book Discussion
Start: Wednesday, October 22, 2025•05:30 PM
End: Wednesday, October 22, 2025•07:30 PM
Location: Exchange Terrace Theater•30 Exchange Terrace, Providence, RI 02903 US
Host Contact Info: organizing@neighborswelcomeri.org
A conversation with Marc J. Dunkelman, author of Why Nothing Works, followed by a panel discussion on how we can move from frustration to function in our public institutions.
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Dunkelman traces how America lost its ability to “get big things done”—to build affordable housing, modernize infrastructure, and respond to shared challenges through collective effort. Once, democratic government was the engine of national progress, from railways and electrification to Social Security and the interstate system. Today, that same system often feels incapable of acting decisively on issues like the housing shortage, climate adaptation, and community investment.
In Why Nothing Works, Dunkelman argues that our gridlock stems not only from partisan divides, but from deeper shifts in how Americans view power, expertise, and accountability. He challenges both the left and right to confront how a growing distrust of “the establishment” has weakened our capacity for effective governance. The result is what he calls a “vetocracy”—a system where it’s easier to block action than to make it happen.
The Panel Discussion will take place between Sue Anderbois, Providence City Council; Liza Burkin, Founder of Providence Streets Coalition and Senior Designer of Neighborways Design; and Michael DiBiase, President & CEO of the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council. Moderated by Seth Zeren, Co-Founder and Secretary of Neighbors Welcome! RI.
A light meal will be served from 5:30pm - 6pm.