The Populist Explosion: How the Great Recession Transformed American and European Politics

About the Book

"Far and away the most incisive examination of the central development in contemporary politics: the rise of populism on both the right and the left. Superb." - Thomas Edsall, New York Times columnist
What's happening in global politics, and is there a thread that ties it all together? As if overnight, many Democrats revolted and passionately backed a socialist named Bernie Sanders; the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union, in a stunning rebuke; the vituperative billionaire Donald Trump became the presidential nominee of the Republican Party; and a slew of rebellious parties continued to win election after election in countries like Switzerland, Norway, Italy, Austria, and Greece.
John B. Judis, one of America's most respected political analysts, tells us why we need to understand the populist movement that began in the United States in the 1890s and whose politics have recurred on both sides of the Atlantic ever since. The Populist Explosion is essential reading for anyone hoping to grasp a global political system that is only just beginning what will be a long-running and highly consequential readjustment.

About the Author :
John B. Judis is Editor-At-Large at Talking Points Memo and author of many books, including The Socialist Awakening: What's Different Now About the Left, The Nationalist Revival: Trade, Immigration, and the Revolt Against Globalization, Genesis: Truman, American Jews, and the Origin of the Arab-Israeli Conflict and The Emerging Democratic Majority, cowritten with Ruy Teixeira. He has written for numerous publications, including The New Republic, The National Journal, The New York Times Magazine and The Washington Post Magazine. Born in Chicago, he received his B.A. and his M.A. degrees in Philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley. He lives in Silver Spring, MD.

Review :
"A cogent and exceptionally clarifying guide to a political phenomenon that is at once elusive and, yes, explosive." -- Jonathan Alter, The New York Times Book Review "The Populist Explosion is far and away the most incisive examination of the central development in contemporary politics: the rise of populism on both the right and the left. John Judis, whose track record is unrivaled, is the ideal author to tackle the subject, and he has done a superb job, placing contemporary trends, including the rise of Donald Trump, in historical perspective. Judis demonstrates the crucial role of the 2008 recession both here and in Europe in discrediting the neoliberal agenda. This is must reading." -- Thomas Edsall, New York Times columnist "A sweeping narrative -- rich in historical and political argument -- that ably ties together the insurgencies on both sides of the Atlantic." -- The Nation "John Judis, in The Populist Explosion, has written a terrific short book that is a brisk tour of the horizon, of the right and left versions of populism, their history and current state, with a useful comparison of the populist upsurge in the United States and Europe." --The American Prospect "The Populist Explosion blends groundbreaking reporting with insightful scholarship in the best guide yet to the most important political phenomenon of our time." --Michael Lind, author of Land of Promise: An Economic History of the United States "John Judis demonstrates again why he is one of America's best political journalists. There is no wiser or better informed analysis of contemporary voter discontent on both sides of the Atlantic than The Populist Explosion." -- Michael Kazin, editor of Dissent, author of The Populist Persuasion: An American History and War Against War: The American Fight for Peace, 1914-1918