Menu
The Demagogue’s Playbook: The Battle for American Democracy from the Founders to Trump
Maybe someday
25
/100
I Index Overall Rating
Readers
32/100Critics
17/100Scholars
Author:
Eric Posner
Publisher:
All Points Books
Date:
June 30, 2020
Posner offers a blueprint for how America can prevent the rise of another demagogue and protect the features of a democracy that help it thriveâand restore national greatness, for one and all.
What The Reviewers Say
Posner takes readers through a fascinating political history focused on the men (yes, no women so far) who best illustrate the manipulative power of the populist demagogue.
A great virtue of Posner’s conceptual scheme is that it allows him to focus on those aspects of Trump’s presidency that are of lasting significance. Instead of condemning demagogues for any phrase or policy he happens to dislike, he zeros in on their dangerous habit of positing a conflict between the people and the very institutions that have historically enabled them to exert their power.
... skillful.
... an almost novellike stroll through American history beginning with the founders’ fear and ending with one chapter on Trump.
