Introduction

The introduction presents the book’s essential political concerns and makes the case for an historical and theoretical analysis through which a reconsideration of American democracy over the course of the last 50 years can be advanced. The authors situate contemporary anti-democratic dynamics in the context of late capitalism and relative to a host of threats and risks to democracy that have emerged over the course of the past decade, including anti-minority prejudice and violence, mass susceptibility to propaganda, the culture of a post-truth politics and the public health and economic crises sparked by the coronavirus pandemic. The intellectual context of the book’s specific lines of analysis is presented, and the stakes explained.