Daniel Squadron

BOOK TALK & SIGNING

Daniel Squadron

Join us at Wheatgrass Books for an early afternoon conversation on July 12th at noon with Daniel Squadron, co-founder of The States Project and former New York State Senator, as he discusses his new book, The Fourth Branch: How State Government Can Save Our Union.

Following the 2024 election, many Americans have found themselves disillusioned with national politics. In The Fourth Branch, Squadron argues that while many people look to Washington for solutions, the greatest opportunities for meaningful change often begin much closer to home—in our state legislatures.

Drawing on his experience in public service and his work with lawmakers across the country, Squadron explores how state governments shape many of the issues that most affect our daily lives, including climate policy, wages, reproductive rights, criminal justice, gun laws, education, and paid family leave. He offers readers a fresh perspective on where governmental power truly lies and outlines practical ways ordinary citizens can become engaged in strengthening democracy at the state level.

As Sarah Jessica Parker writes in the book’s foreword, “The Fourth Branch will help us all do what we can with more clarity and impact. By explaining how power works in our country, and how we can be most effective, this book gives us a roadmap to improving America on every level.”

Whether you’re interested in politics, civic engagement, or simply curious about how government works beyond the headlines, this promises to be a thoughtful and timely discussion.

The talk will be followed by audience questions and a book signing.

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Many Americans who care about politics are exhausted — and spending their energy in exactly the wrong place. The fights that determine minimum wage, healthcare access, school curriculums, voting rights, and the shape of Congress itself are happening in state legislatures, decided by lawmakers most people can’t name, in sessions most people don’t know are happening. Washington is loud, but state capitals are where the work gets done.

Exposing this gap—between where political attention goes and where political power actually lives—is the heart of Daniel Squadron’s THE FOURTH BRANCH: How State Government Can Save Our Union, and it has never been more urgent. 

Squadron, a former New York State Senator and co-founder of The States Project (the largest state legislative organization in the country), delivers a powerful and refreshing case for how politics can move beyond the endless churn of Washington. Part handbook, part history, and part personal narrative, THE FOURTH BRANCH opens readers’ eyes to the power structures of state legislatures, the overlooked arm of government that has done more harm and more good than any other in recent years. 

Most crucially, with the 2026 midterms approaching, THE FOURTH BRANCH unpacks exactly how the states are the last and best line of defense for preserving competitive elections — and, through them, the future shape of Congress and the presidency itself. Squadron offers a galvanizing framework for getting involved, and a strategic counter to decades of conservative investment from groups like the Heritage Foundation, the architects of Project 2025. 

As Sarah Jessica Parker writes in the book’s foreword, “THE FOURTH BRANCH will help us all do what we can with more clarity and impact. By explaining how power works in our country, and how we can be most effective, this book gives us a roadmap to improving America on every level.” 

TIMELY DISCUSSION POINTS IN THE BOOK INCLUDE: 

· Trump’s obsession with state lawmakers: he’s been calling them and calling them out consistently, completely unlike how any Dem president has ever behaved. Squadron traces exactly why he’s doing it, what it reveals about where power actually sits, and why it’s so unlike anything we’ve seen from the other side. 

· State legislatures are increasingly the pipeline to higher office: figures like Talarico and McMorrow are part of a broader trend the book fully maps out. 

· The Dobbs origin story everyone ignores: The Dobbs decision is widely remembered as a Supreme Court moment. Squadron reminds us it was actually a state legislative moment — and that the same dynamic is about to play out with the Voting Rights Act. 

· 75% of Paris Climate Agreement goals are achievable by state action alone — regardless of who’s in the White House. By the time Trump exited Paris a second time in 2025, 24 states representing a majority of the U.S. economy had already committed to their own climate targets.

· 90% of law enforcement operates under state authority. 87% of inmates are in state or local facilities. Criminal justice has always been a state issue — Washington is largely beside the point. 

· Harvard’s leverage against Trump exists because of states: 85% of public university operations funding comes from state governments, not the federal government. 

· Flipping a congressional map can cost $200M+. Flipping the legislature that draws it costs one-tenth of that. After the 2025 Texas flood that killed 27 children at Camp Mystic, Governor Abbott used the emergency session not just for disaster relief — but to redraw congressional maps mid-decade at Trump’s personal direction. 

FURTHER EARLY PRAISE FOR THE FOURTH BRANCH 

“A primer on the leverage of politics and power, working from the bottom up rather than the top down… Squadron spotlights the ability of the people to change their political landscape, describing the power wielded by those closest to home.” 

—Library Journal 

“Much and more has been said about how to effectively organize and deliver for the causes that matter most to our neighbors. Squadron aptly recognizes how ‘We the People’ must localize our work to truly effect change and impact our communities—and it all begins with state legislatures and local races.” 

—Congresswoman Sarah McBride 

“If you feel powerless to change politics or policies you care about, The Fourth Branch should give you hope. Daniel Squadron shows us that getting involved in state and local politics is easier and more rewarding than many of us realize—and often accomplishes much more.” —Jessamyn Conrad, author of What You Should Know About Politics . . . But Don’t 

About Daniel Squadron 

Daniel Squadron is a former aide to Senator Chuck Schumer, former New York State Senator, and co-founder of The States Project, The States Forum and Future Now, where he is President. He’s always lived in New York City. 

About The States Project 

The States Project connects the importance of state legislatures to every aspect of our lives, while building communities to have the biggest possible impact to win state-level governing power and wield it to achieve the American promise. 

Learn more at statesproject.org