How America Works… and Why It Doesn’t

A brief guide to US politics which provides a reasoned assessment of the ongoing challenges faced by American democracy, not least from Trump and his supporters.Cooper explains key aspects of US political history to put recent, dangerous developments in context, including how political groups have reshaped since the 1964 Civil Rights Act; the rise of the modern-day Republican party; the profound impact of the internet and social media; and the threats posed to the electoral system and the rule of law by the growth of extreme polarization and irrationality. He shows how these recent developments have their roots in the past, with the design and establishment of the political system in the first place.