First published 2018
Following Donald Trump's election, Harvard law professor and bestselling author Cass Sunstein gathered America's top scholars to examine a pressing question: could authoritarianism take root in the United States? This collection of essays brings together voices from Harvard, Chicago, Duke, and other leading institutions to analyze how democracies fail. The contributors explore propaganda mechanisms, media influence, the role of courts and elections, and the impact of misinformation on political systems. Drawing parallels to Sinclair Lewis's 1930s novel about American fascism, the scholars examine historical patterns of democratic collapse. They argue that American politics faces genuine threats from creeping authoritarianism. The book connects Trump's presidency to broader concerns about one-man rule and cult-like political movements. These academic voices provide intellectual frameworks for understanding current political dangers while examining what safeguards might protect democratic institutions.
Genres: political-science, politics, non-fiction, current-affairs, academic, american-history
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: academic-experts, intellectual-frameworks
Setting: America, Chicago, Duke, Harvard
Period: 1930s, 2010s
Audio CD · It Books