Political analyst Chohan cautions readers about the rise of antidemocratic sentiments in this nonfiction book.

According to the author, right-wing forces in the United States are cloaked in “campaign slogans, flag pins, and policy proposals wrapped in red, white, and blue.” However, although these popular symbols evoke ideals of American freedom and national pride, he says, modern conservatives are secretly committed to “shaping America to serve a concentrated few while convincing the public it’s for everyone.” Chohan begins his analysis with the well-known Powell memorandum of 1971. This missive, drafted by then-future U.S. Supreme Court Justice Lewis Powell, offered conservative think tanks and lobbyists a blueprint for rolling back decades of liberal reforms enacted by New Deal and Great Society legislation. According to Chohan’s cogent analysis, conservative operatives followed Powell’s guidance over the past half-century and systematically employed lobbyist groups, such as the Heritage Foundation and the Federalist Society, to influence politicians. They’ve also created an entire media industry, he says, which feeds Americans a constant stream of disinformation. Overall, Chohan’s work effectively makes a case that economic and political power is wielded by a select few by covering topics such as voter suppression, conservative saturation of the federal judicial system, and rollbacks of educational freedom, reproductive rights, and regulatory restraints on big business. Although the book is almost dystopian in its assessment of contemporary America—particularly since the reelection of President Donald Trump—its final chapter sees hope in a rising resistance movement, and it calls for readers to “flip the script” with mass mobilization. Although the volume is polemic in its writing style, it’s backed by solid research from reputable academic and journalistic sources and concludes each chapter with helpful reference endnotes. In just over 200 pages, it carefully balances sound research and detailed coverage of contemporary conservativism in efficient, concise prose, replete with accessible, bullet-pointed lists. Its acerbic manner may alienate some conservatives, but its abundance of research will allow readers to come to their own conclusions.

A dark but substantive examination of the state of American politics.