I really enjoyed the new @SuzanneMettler1 and @r_lieberman book, Four Threats.

I highly recommend it, for the following reaons. 1/ https://www.amazon.com/Four-Threats-Recurring-American-Democracy/dp/1250244420

First, it's not an anti-Trump polemic at all.

Instead, it's a very careful look at the structural conditions that put stress on democracies: polarization, fights over citizenry, economic inequality, and executive aggrandizement.

The framework is smart, and the analysis crisp.

Second, it roots it's analysis in the context of American history. This is very satisfying. While we can (and have) learn(ed) a lot about the current stresses on our democracy from comparative work, the question of how much applies in a 230 year old stable system always remains.

By focusing on how the structural stresses played out at previous moments in U.S. history, Four Threats provides a really good sense feel for their role in current politics, and the potential dangers.

The book is definitely worried about the current moment, but I wouldn't describe it as alarmist. The analytical upshot is that the four stresses we've seen in action in the past can all be found in modern politics, which presents significant structural danger.

Third, the historical sweep of the book provides a great sense of the recurring nature of these stresses throughout American history. That not only provides a good sense of the constancy of struggle in democracies, but also places our current moment as not a black/white divide.

Finally, the book is just really well laid out. It is organized in easy to follow fashion, lays out its argument clearlty, and doesn't succumb to academic jargon.

The various chapters on the 1790s, 1850, 1890s, 1930s, and 1970s are all interesting and compelling narrative reads. I particularly liked the chapter on the 1890s, the era I knew the least about.

Anyway, this is absolutely worth a look. Congrats to the authors.