Paul Pierson Bücher

"A groundbreaking account of how the dangerous alliance of right-wing plutocrats and populists threatens the very pillars of American democracy. We often assume that the Republican Party is divided between a tax-cutting old guard and a white-nationalist vanguard-and that with Donald Trump's ascendance, the upstarts are winning. Yet as New York Times best-selling authors Jacob S. Hacker and Paul Pierson demonstrate, plutocrats and populists are now effectively allies in an intensifying fight to lock in America's skyrocketing inequality. Conservative parties can always be expected to side with economic elites, but when faced with popular resistance, they usually allow for policies that benefit the working and middle classes. Yet today's Republicans are an anomaly. Not only are they doubling down on a truly radical, elite-benefitting economic agenda, but even once-respectable conservatives have turned to nativist appeals and racist dog whistles-and, increasingly, to assaults on democracy itself. Drawing on decades of research, Hacker and Pierson offer a new framework for understanding this vicious circle of deregulation and fear-mongering-and show how we can fight it"-- Provided by publisher

A ground-breaking book on one of the great economic crises of our time -- why the richest of the rich are getting richer while we're not.

The book offers a comprehensive analysis of welfare states during challenging periods, emphasizing the interplay between policy feedbacks and political institutions. Pierson's insights provide a valuable framework for understanding how these factors influence each other, making it a significant contribution to comparative policy research. This study is poised to serve as a benchmark for future investigations in the field.

The book examines the deepening crisis of American democracy, highlighting the disconnect between the Constitution and modern partisan politics. It explores how the nationalization of political dynamics has transformed local institutions and intensified polarization, contrasting today's political landscape with past eras. The authors analyze the evolving roles of state parties, interest groups, and media, revealing how they now reinforce partisanship rather than mitigate it. Ultimately, they warn of the unique vulnerabilities within the American political system that could lead to authoritarianism, particularly within the contemporary Republican Party.

. The book also provides a comparison of social policymaking in the EU with that in Canada and the United States, two other multitiered, or federal, systems.