by Katherine Stewart - undifferentiated
First published 2025
Katherine Stewart investigates the coalition undermining democratic institutions across America. She travels to conspiracy conferences and extremist church services, documenting the alliance between reactionary Catholic activists, atheist billionaires, and pseudo-intellectual theorists. Stewart profiles self-proclaimed apostles, Ayn Rand followers, anti-feminist activists obsessed with "gynocracy," pro-natalists worried about white birth rates, Covid conspiracy theorists, and militia members posing as concerned parents. Her reporting reveals how three distinct groups drive this movement: wealthy funders, intellectual architects, and grassroots warriors who seem to be creating a new religion while dismantling democratic foundations. Stewart analyzes how these factions operate despite conflicting beliefs and competing goals. She traces the authoritarian backlash reshaping American politics and culture. The book reframes discussions about conservative moral decline and charts potential paths toward preserving democratic values.
Genres: political-science, non-fiction, 21st-century, current-affairs, activism, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: investigative-reporting, social-commentary
Setting: America
Period: 21st Century
352 pages · Hardcover · Bloomsbury Publishing
Content warnings: racism