by Robert Kagan
First published 2024
Robert Kagan examines the fragile state of American democracy as the 2024 election approaches. The historian argues this vote could mark the final free election in a unified United States. Kagan explores what might happen if Donald Trump loses but again refuses to accept defeat, potentially calling on his supporters to reject the results. The author traces how Republican-controlled states could respond by rejecting federal authority and effectively breaking away from the union. Kagan connects these contemporary dangers to deeper currents in American history, particularly the persistent opposition to liberal governance that has shaped the nation since its founding. He shows how Trump has uniquely exploited this tradition of dissent to threaten the constitutional system. The book moves beyond surface political commentary to examine the historical forces that created this moment of crisis. Kagan presents this analysis as both a warning about immediate dangers and a broader meditation on American political culture.
Genres: history, political-science, non-fiction, 21st-century, current-affairs, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: unreliable-narrator
Setting: United States
Period: 2024
256 pages · Hardcover · Knopf