First published 2025
Bernie Sanders confronts the harsh reality of modern America: a handful of multibillionaires wield enormous economic and political power while ordinary citizens struggle to pay rent and buy groceries. He defines oligarchy as a system where extremely wealthy individuals control a nation's economic, political, and media institutions, leaving regular people powerless to shape their country's future. Sanders argues that America has become precisely this kind of oligarchic society. He examines how the very rich grow richer as most Americans face financial hardship, enabled by a corrupt campaign finance system that allows billionaires from both parties to dominate politics. Sanders warns that Trump's presidency accelerated America's slide toward authoritarianism, with systematic attacks on Congress, courts, media, law firms, and universities designed to consolidate presidential power. Drawing from his Fighting Oligarchy tour, which attracted tens of thousands across red and blue states, Sanders demonstrates that Americans are ready to resist. He offers readers a concrete path toward reinvigorated democracy, insisting that true power belongs to the people.
Genres: political-science, politics, non-fiction, current-affairs, activism, american-history
Vibes: thought-provoking
Tropes: resistance
Setting: America
Period: 21st-century
Paperback