American Breakdown: The Trump Years and How They Befell Us

- Blurb -

Leading essayist David Bromwich explores the historical hollowing out of American democracy and Trump's rise to power With a clear-eyed, incisive style Bromwich traces the root cause of Trump's ascendency, starting with the Nixon years and through Obama's failed strategy of reconciliation. Focusing on the dangers and disasters of Trump's first years in office, these essays capture the initial shock of Trump's win while at the same time criticizing the Democratic Party's lack of a clear progressive agenda. Trump is no aberration but rather the result of decades of privatization, a widening wealth gap, and gutted social spending. For readers of Jane Mayer and David Cay Johnston, this collection skewers everyone Trump and Dick Cheney to Bill Clinton and Obama. Bromwich traces the evolution of the Democratic party since the 1980s and goes beyond the Democrat-Republican ideological divide to show that our current political system does not work for the majority of Americans. For those looking for nuanced answers to how we got here, Bromwich lays out the origins of our partisan politics, criticizing the war machine and austerity politics along the way. He sees the newly elected Democratic congress as a potential force for change, arguing that it's more urgent than ever to confront Trump's hateful message with a new type of progressive politics.