The Populist Persuasion: An American History - Softcover

Kazin, Michael

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1501714538 ISBN 13: 9781501714535

Publisher: Cornell University Press, 2017

Synopsis

In The Populist Persuasion, the distinguished historian Michael Kazin guides readers through the expressions of conflict between powerful elites and "the people" that have run through our civic life, filling it with discord and meaning from the birth of the United States until the present day.

Kazin argues persuasively that the power of populism lies in its adaptable nature. Across the political spectrum, commentators paste the label on forces and individuals who really have just one big thing in common: they are effective at blasting "elites" or "the establishment" for harming the interests and betraying the ideals of "the people" in nations that are committed, at least officially, to democratic principles. Kazin’s classic book has influenced debates over populism since its publication. The new preface to this edition brings the story up to date by charting the present resurgence of populist discourse, which was front and center in the 2016 elections and in the Brexit debate.

About this title

Review:

"A perceptive and passionately liberal book. Beginning with the antislavery crusade of the 1840s, Kazin skillfully surveys more than a century of mass protests, using imagery and symbolism as his guides."

Source: New York times

"Kazin shows populism’s canny ability to mix homespun rhetoric and political savvy. The book explains something very important in American life with scrupulous fairness and a keen eye for the humanizing detail. It is as good a road map as we have to the politics of the people who work hard and play by the rules."

Source: WALL STREET JOURNAL

"The important questions raised by the success of the populist right in the United States are illuminated in Kazin's splendid and timely book."

Source: THE NATION

About the Author:

Michael Kazin is Professor of History at American University and coeditor of Dissent. His many books include War Against War, American Dreamers, and A Godly Hero.

About this edition

• Publisher: Cornell University Press
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1501714538
• ISBN 13: 9781501714535
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 408