by Ben Shapiro
First published 2021
Americans face mounting pressure to conform to prevailing social and political orthodoxies. Ben Shapiro, the New York Times bestselling author, investigates the extent to which citizens will go to enforce ideological compliance among their peers. He examines the mechanisms through which social pressure operates in contemporary American society, from workplace dynamics to educational institutions to social media platforms. Shapiro argues that authoritarian tendencies have emerged not primarily from government institutions but from civil society itself. He documents how ordinary Americans increasingly demand that others adopt specific viewpoints or face social and professional consequences. The book reveals how this peer enforcement creates a climate where dissent becomes costly and conformity offers the path of least resistance. Shapiro offers readers a framework for understanding these social dynamics and their implications for democratic discourse and individual liberty.
Genres: american, political-science, non-fiction, 21st-century, current-affairs, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: investigative-journalism, social-commentary
Setting: America, United States
Period: 21st Century
288 pages · Hardcover · Broadside Books