Anger, Fear, Domination
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A01=William A. Galston
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anger
Author_William A. Galston
autocracy
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civil liberties
civil rights
civil war
demagoguery
domination
Donald Trump
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hate speech
humiliation
insurrection
persuasion
political mobilization
political passions
political psychology
political sentiments
political violence
polls
resentment
revenge
rhetoric
speech
terrorism
voting
Product details
- ISBN 9780300282290
- Dimensions: 127 x 197mm
- Publication Date: 28 Oct 2025
- Publisher: Yale University Press
- Publication City/Country: US
- Product Form: Hardback
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A renowned political theorist offers a road map to the dark forces that threaten democracy
“Politics is different now because something awful has been unleashed. William A. Galston defines this awful thing in his fantastic new book, Anger, Fear, Domination.”—David Brooks, New York Times
Liberalism orients itself around the idea of self-interest tempered by reason, with the addition of civically useful emotions such as patriotism, self-sacrifice, and empathy. But the politics dominating much of the world shows that these ideals are not enough. William A. Galston argues that the defense of liberal democracy requires understanding the dark forces whose impact on political life liberal democratic institutions seek to mute: the emotions of fear, humiliation, anger, resentment, and hatred, and the drive to dominate. In hard or threatening times, it is these dark passions that most reliably persuade people and move them to action—whether voting or violence.
Throughout the democratic world, these institutional defenses are now being tested by a new generation of demagogues. With a keen awareness of the stakes, Galston explains why countering this dangerous development requires not only more responsive public policies but persuasive rhetoric and a realistic conception of political psychology—one that is free of the illusion that reason or affirmative sentiments such as empathy, solidarity, and love can reliably dominate public affairs.
“Politics is different now because something awful has been unleashed. William A. Galston defines this awful thing in his fantastic new book, Anger, Fear, Domination.”—David Brooks, New York Times
Liberalism orients itself around the idea of self-interest tempered by reason, with the addition of civically useful emotions such as patriotism, self-sacrifice, and empathy. But the politics dominating much of the world shows that these ideals are not enough. William A. Galston argues that the defense of liberal democracy requires understanding the dark forces whose impact on political life liberal democratic institutions seek to mute: the emotions of fear, humiliation, anger, resentment, and hatred, and the drive to dominate. In hard or threatening times, it is these dark passions that most reliably persuade people and move them to action—whether voting or violence.
Throughout the democratic world, these institutional defenses are now being tested by a new generation of demagogues. With a keen awareness of the stakes, Galston explains why countering this dangerous development requires not only more responsive public policies but persuasive rhetoric and a realistic conception of political psychology—one that is free of the illusion that reason or affirmative sentiments such as empathy, solidarity, and love can reliably dominate public affairs.
William A. Galston holds the Ezra K. Zilkha Chair in the Brookings Institution’s Governance Studies Program, where he serves as a senior fellow. His books include Anti-Pluralism: The Populist Threat to Liberal Democracy. He lives in Bethesda, MD.
