In this appearance on CUNY TV’s Eldridge & Co., The Nation‘s Katrina vanden Heuvel discusses how movements such as the Occupy movement have transformed American discourse—and even politics, or aspects of it—in a relatively short period of time. But those in Occupy, pushing for the dismantling of what they consider an illegitmate system corrupted by money, will have to follow models of previously successful grassroots efforts, such as the civil rights movement, she argues. Ordinary citizens are crucial to effecting change, but so are principled politicians who can fight for change within the system. Watch more to learn how these ideas play out in the age of Obama.

—Elizabeth Whitman