Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right's Stealth Plan for America

by Nancy MacLean

Overview

Winner of the Lillian Smith Book Award
Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize
Finalist for the National Book Award
The Nation's "Most Valuable Book"

“[A] vibrant intellectual history of the radical right.”—The Atlantic

“This sixty-year campaign to make libertarianism mainstream and eventually take the government itself is at the heart of Democracy in Chains. . . . If you're worried about what all this means for America's future, you should be.”—NPR

An explosive exposé of the right’s relentless campaign to eliminate unions, suppress voting, privatize public education, stop action on climate change, and alter the Constitution.

*Now Updated With A New Preface*

Behind today’s headlines of billionaires taking over our government is a secretive political establishment with long, deep, and troubling roots. The capitalist radical right has been working not simply to change who rules, but to fundamentally alter the rules of democratic governance. But billionaires did not launch this movement; a white intellectual in the embattled Jim Crow South did. Democracy in Chains names its true architect—the Nobel Prize-winning political economist James McGill Buchanan—and dissects the operation he and his colleagues designed over six decades to alter every branch of government to disempower the majority.

In a brilliant and engrossing narrative, Nancy MacLean shows how Buchanan forged his ideas about government in a last gasp attempt to preserve the white elite’s power in the wake of Brown v. Board of Education. In response to the widening of American democracy, he developed a brilliant, if diabolical, plan to undermine the ability of the majority to use its numbers to level the playing field between the rich and powerful and the rest of us.

Corporate donors and their right-wing foundations were only too eager to support Buchanan’s work in teaching others how to divide America into “makers” and “takers.” And when a multibillionaire on a messianic mission to rewrite the social contract of the modern world, Charles Koch, discovered Buchanan, he created a vast, relentless, and multi-armed machine to carry out Buchanan’s strategy.

Without Buchanan's ideas and Koch's money, the libertarian right would not have succeeded in its stealth takeover of the Republican Party as a delivery mechanism. Now, with Mike Pence as Vice President, the cause has a longtime loyalist in the White House, not to mention a phalanx of Republicans in the House, the Senate, a majority of state governments, and the courts, all carrying out the plan. That plan includes harsher laws to undermine unions, privatizing everything from schools to health care and Social Security, and keeping as many of us as possible from voting. Based on ten years of unique research, Democracy in Chains tells a chilling story of right-wing academics and big money run amok. This revelatory work of scholarship is also a call to arms to protect the achievements of twentieth-century American self-government.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101980972
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	06/05/2018
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	95,102
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Nancy MacLean is the award-winning author of Behind the Mask of Chivalry  (a New York Times "noteworthy" book of the year) and Freedom is Not Enough, which was called by the Chicago Tribune “contemporary history at its best.” The William Chafe Professor of History and Public Policy at Duke University, she lives in Durham, North Carolina.

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INTRODUCTION
(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "Democracy in Chains"
by .
Copyright © 2018 Nancy MacLean.
Excerpted by permission of Penguin Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Introduction: A Quiet Deal in Dixie xv

Prologue: The Marx of the Master Class 1

Chapter 1 There Was No Stopping Us 13

Part I The Ideas Take Shape

Chapter 2 A Country Boy Goes to the Windy City 29

Chapter 3 The Real Purpose of the Program 45

Chapter 4 Letting the Chips Fall Where They May 61

Chapter 5 To Protect Capitalism from Government 74

Chapter 6 A Counterrevolution Takes Time 88

Chapter 7 A World Gone Mad 102

Part II Ideas In Action

Chapter 8 Large Things Can Start from Small Beginnings 115

Chapter 9 Never Compromise 127

Chapter 10 A Constitution with Locks and Bolts 154

Chapter 11 Democracy Defeats the Doctrine 169

Chapter 12 The Kind of Force That Propelled Columbus 190

Part III The Fallout

Conclusion: Get Ready 207

Acknowledgments 235

Notes 241

Bibliography 303

Index 323

Editorial Reviews

"[A] remarkably important book...this book is a superb contribution to our understanding of the rise of libertarian notions and right-wing political power in the US. If you wonder how the Supreme Court came to define speech as money or corporations as people, this volume will help you to figure it out...The melting ice caps, if nothing else, stand as testament to the folly of listening mainly to the rich and powerful."—Bill McKibben, The Times Literary Supplement

“Democracy in Chains leaves me with hope: Perhaps as books like MacLean’s continue to shine a light on important truths, Americans will begin to realize they need to pay more attention and not succumb to the cynical view that known liars make the best leaders." —New York Times Book Review

“A remarkable new book which argues that the radical right revolution engineered by Charles and his brother David is not just about accruing political and economic power, but about restricting democracy itself.” —The New Republic

“[A] vibrant intellectual history of the radical right . . . [MacLean] has dug deep into her material—not just Buchanan’s voluminous, unsorted papers, but other archives, too—and she has made powerful and disturbing use of it all. . . . The behind-the-scenes days and works of Buchanan show how much deliberation and persistence—in the face of formidable opposition—underlie the antigoverning politics ascendant today. What we think of as dysfunction is the result of years of strategic effort.” —The Atlantic
 
“This sixty-year campaign to make libertarianism mainstream and eventually take the government itself is at the heart of Democracy in Chains. . . . [MacLean] takes the time to meticulously trace how we got here. . . . If you're worried about what all this means for America's future, you should be. . . . And if someone you know isn't convinced, you have just the book to hand them.” —NPR

"It’s the missing chapter: a key to understanding the politics of the past half century. To read Nancy MacLean’s new book, Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America, is to see what was previously invisible." —George Monbiot, The Guardian 

“[A] riveting, unsettling account of 'Tennessee country boy' James McGill Buchanan, key architect of today's radical right.” —O, The Oprah Magazine

“A remarkable book . . . Democracy in Chains is a revelation, as politics and as history.” —Jacobin

“Democracy in Chains should be read by every thinking person in the United States. It is disturbing, revealing, and vitally important.” —NYJournalOfBooks.com

"Perhaps the best explanation to date of the roots of the political divide that threatens to irrevocably alter American government.” —Booklist (starred review)

“It’s happening: the subversion of our democratic system from within. How did the political Right do it? Nancy MacLean tells the long-overlooked story of the political economist who developed the playbook for the Koch brothers. James McGill Buchanan merged states rights’ thinking with free market principles and helped to fashion the inherently elitist ideology of today’s Republican Party. Professor MacLean’s meticulous research and shrewd insights make this a must-read for all who believe in government ‘by the people.’” —Nancy Isenberg, author of White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America

“This book is mesmerizing. Rarely have I encountered a work that speaks to such significant issues, with evidence rooted in conclusive new sources. In clear prose, MacLean reveals how a public once committed to social responsibility and egalitarian values became persuaded that only an unregulated free market could protect ‘liberty’ and ‘choice.’ Because of this, our once cherished democracy is now subject to attack. Everyone who wants to understand today’s confrontational politics should read this important book, now.” —Alice Kessler-Harris, author of In Pursuit of Equity: Women, Men and the Quest for Economic Citizenship in Twentieth Century America

“How did we get to where we are today? How did corporations come to possess ‘rights?’ How did democracy come to be defined as selfish individualism? Or money as free speech? Nancy MacLean’s Democracy in Chains provides the answers. It is essential reading in order to understand the ideas that billionaires use to justify their control of our political institutions. I can’t imagine a more timely or urgent book.” —Greg Grandin, author of Fordlandia (finalist for the Pulitzer Prize) and The Empire of Necessity (winner of the Bancroft Prize)

"[MacLean] creates a chilling portrait of an arrogant, uncompromising, and unforgiving man . . . [she] offers a cogent yet disturbing analysis of libertarians' current efforts to rewrite the social contract and manipulate citizens' beliefs. . . . An unsettling exposé of the depth and breadth of the libertarian agenda." —Kirkus Reviews

"MacLean constructs an erudite searing portrait of how the late political economist James McGill Buchanan (1919 - 2013) and his deep-pocketed conservative allies have reshaped —and undermined—American democracy. . . . A thoroughly researched and gripping narrative, she exposes how Buchanan’s strategies shaped trends in government in favor of “corporate dominance” and against the welfare state. . . . She has delivered another deeply important book. . . . Her work here is a feat of American intellectual and political history." —Publisher's Weekly (starred review)

“For those who think the Tea Party, Freedom Caucus, and the alt-right are recent constructs, MacLean provides an extensive history lesson that traces the genesis of the right wing back to post-WWII doctrines. . . . A worthy companion to Jane Mayer’s Dark Money, MacLean’s intense and extensive examination of the right-wing’s rise to power is perhaps the best explanation to date of the roots of the political divide that threatens to irrevocably alter American government.” —Booklist (starred review)

From the Publisher

With this book MacLean joins a growing chorus of scholars and journalists documenting the systematic, organized effort to undermine democracy and change the rules…Power consolidation sometimes seems like a perpetual motion machine, continually widening the gap between those who have power and money and those who don't. Still, Democracy in Chains leaves me with hope: Perhaps as books like MacLean's continue to shine a light on important truths, Americans will begin to realize they need to pay more attention and not succumb to the cynical view that known liars make the best leaders.

The New York Times Book Review - Heather Boushey

★ 04/10/2017
MacLean (Freedom Is Not Enough) constructs an erudite, searing portrait of how the late political economist James McGill Buchanan (1919–2013) and his deep-pocketed conservative allies have reshaped—and undermined—American democracy. MacLean makes the convincing argument that an American “paloecapitalist” elite has sought to destroy our institutions in pursuit of their own “economic liberty.” Focusing on Buchanan, winner of the 1986 Noble Prize in Economics and mastermind behind public choice theory, MacLean traces his career and influence, including over former Virginia governor Harry Byrd and Chile’s former military ruler, Augusto Pinochet. In a thoroughly researched and gripping narrative, she exposes how Buchanan’s strategies shaped trends in government in favor of “corporate dominance” and against the welfare state. His theories, according to MacLean, influenced the push for privatizing education. Moreover, the cadre of wealthy libertarians he inspired still persists in contemporary politics. MacLean examines the reach of this powerful group and its think tanks, such as Charles Koch’s Cato Institute and the Heritage Foundation. She has delivered another deeply important book that will interest general readers and scholars alike. Her work here is a feat of American intellectual and political history. Agent: Susan Rabiner, Susan Rabiner Literary. (June)

Publishers Weekly

09/01/2016
Duke historian MacLean argues that the Radical Right's agenda goes back to Brown v. Board of Education and subsequent resistance in the South to integration and even further to antebellum South Carolina senator John C. Calhoun's support of the propertied. Tellingly, that support has played into the thinking of Nobel Prize-winning economist James M. Buchanan, in turn influencing the Koch brothers.

Library Journal

Are you ready for an audiobook that will uncover, finally, the plot to privatize every aspect of American life, including Social Security, education, infrastructure, and the workforce? The author traces our present right-wing revolution back to the 1950s and an economist named James McGill Buchanan. The rest is, well, dependent upon your political persuasion. Bernadette Dunne narrates this explosive book with restraint and a rich, somewhat scratchy voice. She doesn’t embellish her delivery, letting the words speak for themselves and presenting the work in an economical style. By approaching it this way, Dunne makes the audiobook both accessible and compelling. R.I.G. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

AUGUST 2017 - AudioFile

Are you ready for an audiobook that will uncover, finally, the plot to privatize every aspect of American life, including Social Security, education, infrastructure, and the workforce? The author traces our present right-wing revolution back to the 1950s and an economist named James McGill Buchanan. The rest is, well, dependent upon your political persuasion. Bernadette Dunne narrates this explosive book with restraint and a rich, somewhat scratchy voice. She doesn’t embellish her delivery, letting the words speak for themselves and presenting the work in an economical style. By approaching it this way, Dunne makes the audiobook both accessible and compelling. R.I.G. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

AUGUST 2017 - AudioFile

2017-04-10
How American democracy is being destroyed by powerful libertarians.Focusing on Nobel Prize-winning economist James McGill Buchanan (1919-2013), whom Charles Koch funded and championed, MacLean (History and Public Policy/Duke Univ.; The American Women's Movement, 1945-2000: A Brief History with Documents, 2008, etc.) elaborates on the revelations about the Koch brothers' insidious, dangerous manipulation of American politics that has been presented forcefully by Jane Mayer in Dark Money (2016) and Daniel Schulman in Sons of Wichita (2014). Based on Buchanan's papers as well as published sources, MacLean creates a chilling portrait of an arrogant, uncompromising, and unforgiving man, stolid in his mission to "save capitalism from democracy." To Charles Koch, he seemed a kindred spirit. Buchanan believed that growth of government undermines individual freedom. Government overreach, he maintained, included public schools, the Postal Service, prisons, labor laws, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid for the poor, guarantees of voting rights, foreign aid, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the graduated income tax. Government's only role, Buchanan and his followers believe, "is to ensure the rule of law, guarantee social order, and provide for the national defense." MacLean traces Buchanan's career at several universities—the last was the fledging George Mason, which the Wall Street Journal called "the Pentagon of conservative academia"—where he reigned over his own economics institutes, backed generously by wealthy libertarians; and his embrace by exclusive think tanks, such as the Mont Pelerin Society, the Hoover Institution, the Cato Institute, the Club for Growth, and the Heritage Foundation, among many other Koch-funded organizations. Besides influence at home, Buchanan helped design a constitution for the Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, a document that ensured constraint of majority power. MacLean offers a cogent yet disturbing analysis of libertarians' current efforts to rewrite the social contract and manipulate citizens' beliefs—e.g., by spreading "junk pseudo science" about climate change. An unsettling exposé of the depth and breadth of the libertarian agenda.

Kirkus Reviews