How Civil Wars Start: And How to Stop Them
By: Barbara F. Walter
4.25
Format: 320 pages, Hardcover
Civil wars are the biggest danger to world peace today - this book shows us why they happen, and ho…
Want to Read $ 9.99"For a society to fracture along identity lines, you need mouthpieces - people who are willing to make discriminatory appeals and pursue discriminatory policies in the name of a particular group. They are usually people who are seeking political office or trying to stay in office. They provoke and harness feelings of fear as a way to lock in the constituencies that will support their scramble for power. Experts have a term for these individuals: ethnic entrepreneurs. [...] Though the catalyst for conflict is often ostensibly something else - the economy, immigration, freedom of religion - ethnic entrepreneurs make the fight expressly about their group's position and status in society. Harnessing the power of the media, which they often control, they work to convince citizens that they are under threat from an out-group and must band together under the entrepreneur to counter the threat."-Barbara F. Walter, How Civil Wars Start: And How to Stop Them
"For a society to fracture along identity lines, you need mouthpieces - people who are willing to make discriminatory appeals and pursue discriminatory policies in the name of a particular group. They are usually people who are seeking political office or trying to stay in office. They provoke and harness feelings of fear as a way to lock in the constituencies that will support their scramble for power. Experts have a term for these individuals: ethnic entrepreneurs. [...] Though the catalyst for conflict is often ostensibly something else - the economy, immigration, freedom of religion - ethnic entrepreneurs make the fight expressly about their group's position and status in society. Harnessing the power of the media, which they often control, they work to convince citizens that they are under threat from an out-group and must band together under the entrepreneur to counter the threat."-Barbara F. Walter, How Civil Wars Start: And How to Stop Them
"For a society to fracture along identity lines, you need mouthpieces - people who are willing to make discriminatory appeals and pursue discriminatory policies in the name of a particular group. They are usually people who are seeking political office or trying to stay in office. They provoke and harness feelings of fear as a way to lock in the constituencies that will support their scramble for power. Experts have a term for these individuals: ethnic entrepreneurs. [...] Though the catalyst for conflict is often ostensibly something else - the economy, immigration, freedom of religion - ethnic entrepreneurs make the fight expressly about their group's position and status in society. Harnessing the power of the media, which they often control, they work to convince citizens that they are under threat from an out-group and must band together under the entrepreneur to counter the threat."-Barbara F. Walter, How Civil Wars Start: And How to Stop Them
If you liked the political science plot in How Civil Wars Start: And How to Stop Them by Barbara F. Walter , here is a list of 17 books like this:
1. Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism
By: Rachel Maddow
4.45
Format: 416 pages, Hardcover
Rachel Maddow traces the fight to preserve American democracy back to World War II, when a handful … read more
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- history
- politics
- war
- nonfiction
- audiobook
"One big appeal of fascism, if nothing else, was its unapologetic embrace of cruelty. Cruelty towards others, coupled with hypersensitivity towards any slight to oneself."-Rachel Maddow, Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism
2. How Civil Wars Start: And How to Stop Them
By: Barbara F. Walter
4.25
Format: 320 pages, Hardcover
Civil wars are the biggest danger to world peace today - this book shows us why they happen, and ho… read more
Want to Read $ 9.99Similar categories in Barbara F. Walter's How Civil Wars Start: And How to Stop Them book and Barbara F. Walter's How Civil Wars Start: And How to Stop Them
- social science
- history
- politics
- civil war
- war
- nonfiction
- society
- political science
- sociology
- audiobook
"For a society to fracture along identity lines, you need mouthpieces - people who are willing to make discriminatory appeals and pursue discriminatory policies in the name of a particular group. They…"-Barbara F. Walter, How Civil Wars Start: And How to Stop Them
3. The Flag and the Cross: White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy
By: Philip S. Gorski
4.19
Format: 176 pages, Hardcover
A bracing examination of a force that imperils American democracy Most Americans were shocked by t… read more
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- history
- politics
- nonfiction
- political science
- sociology
- audiobook
"White Christian nationalism is a “deep story"-Philip S. Gorski, The Flag and the Cross: White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy
"For white Americans who affirm Christian nationalist ideology, “true Americans"-Philip S. Gorski, The Flag and the Cross: White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy
"Even as it’s become riskier for mainstream politicians to use negative dog whistles like “thug"-Philip S. Gorski, The Flag and the Cross: White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy
"It’s not that Christian nationalists have a different understanding of American history; it’s that they often have an incorrect understanding."-Philip S. Gorski, The Flag and the Cross: White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy
4. Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America
By: Heather Cox Richardson
4.42
Format: 286 pages, Hardcover
“Engaging and highly accessible.” —Boston Globe “A vibrant, and essential history of America's u… read more
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- history
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5. Nuclear War: A Scenario
By: Annie Jacobsen
4.47
Format: 400 pages, Hardcover
There is only one scenario other than an asteroid strike that could end the world as we know it in … read more
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- history
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- audiobook
"The fundamental idea behind this book is to demonstrate, in appalling detail, just how horrifying nuclear war would be."-Annie Jacobsen, Nuclear War: A Scenario
"Humans are wired to advance. Humans do whatever it takes. And yet, nuclear war zeros it all out. Nuclear weapons reduce human brilliance and ingenuity, love and desire, empathy and intellect, to ash."-Annie Jacobsen, Nuclear War: A Scenario
6. Why We Did It: A Travelogue from the Republican Road to Hell
By: Tim Miller
3.97
Format: 288 pages, Hardcover
Former Republican political operative Tim Miller admits what no one else on the right ever will: th… read more
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- history
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" Why We Did It is a book about the people who submitted to every whim of a comically unfit and detestable man who crapped all over them and took over the party they had given their life to. It’s abou…"-Tim Miller, Why We Did It: A Travelogue from the Republican Road to Hell
7. Poverty, by America
By: Matthew Desmond
4.27
Format: 284 pages, Hardcover
Reimagining the debate on poverty, making a new and bracing argument about why it persists in Ameri… read more
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- social science
- history
- politics
- nonfiction
- sociology
- audiobook
"To live and strive in modern America is to participate in a series of morally fraught systems. If a family’s entire financial livelihood depends on the value of its home, it’s not hard to understand …"-Matthew Desmond, Poverty, by America
"The rest of us, on the ·other hand-we members of the protected classes-have grown increasingly· dependent on our welfare programs. In 2020 the federal government spent more than $193 billion on homeo…"-Matthew Desmond, Poverty, by America
"In her book The Government-Citizen Disconnect, the political scientist Suzanne Mettler reports that 96 percent of American adults have relied on a major government program at some point in their live…"-Matthew Desmond, Poverty, by America
8. The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism
By: Tim Alberta
4.45
Format: 506 pages, Kindle Edition
Evangelical Christians are perhaps the most polarizing—and least understood—people living in Americ… read more
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- politics
- history
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- audiobook
9. How Democracies Die: What History Reveals About Our Future
By: Steven Levitsky
4.15
Format: 320 pages, Hardcover
Donald Trump's presidency has raised a question that many of us never thought we'd be asking: Is ou… read more
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- social science
- history
- politics
- nonfiction
- society
- political science
- sociology
- audiobook
"Authoritarian politicians cast their rivals as criminal, subversive, unpatriotic, or a threat to national security or the existing way of life."-Steven Levitsky, How Democracies Die: What History Reveals About Our Future
"The drift into authoritarianism doesn’t always set off alarm bells. Citizens are often slow to realize that their democracy is being dismantled even as it happens before their eyes."-Steven Levitsky, How Democracies Die: What History Reveals About Our Future
"Institutions become political weapons, wielded forcefully by those who control them against those who do not. This is how elected autocrats subvert democracy—packing and “weaponizing"-Steven Levitsky, How Democracies Die: What History Reveals About Our Future
"But when faced with a would-be authoritarian, establishment politicians must unambiguously reject him or her and do everything possible to defend democratic institutions—even if that means temporaril…"-Steven Levitsky, How Democracies Die: What History Reveals About Our Future
10. Trust the Plan: The Rise of QAnon and the Conspiracy That Unhinged America
By: Will Sommer
4.09
Format: 260 pages, Hardcover
The definitive book on QAnon from the reporter knows them best; Will Sommer explains what it is, ho… read more
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- history
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- audiobook
11. This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden and the Battle for American Democracy
By: Jonathan Martin
4.00
Format: None pages, Audiobook
The shocking, definitive account of the 2020 election and the first year of the Biden presidency by… read more
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- history
- politics
- nonfiction
- political science
- audiobook
12. Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism
By: Anne Applebaum
3.91
Format: 224 pages, Hardcover
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author, professor, and historian offers an expert guide to understanding… read more
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- history
- politics
- nonfiction
- society
- political science
- sociology
- audiobook
"Unity is an anomaly. Polarization is normal. Skepticism about liberal democracy is also normal. And the appeal of authoritarianism is eternal."-Anne Applebaum, Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism
"Given the right conditions, any society can turn against democracy. Indeed, if history is anything to go by, all of our societies eventually will."-Anne Applebaum, Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism
"Olga Tokarczuk, 2019: We horen niet langer de harmonie van de wereld, maar de kakofonie van geluiden, een ondraaglijke ruis waarin we wanhoping een een rustiger melodie proberen te ontdekken, al is h…"-Anne Applebaum, Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism
"Throughout history, pandemics have led to an expansion of the power of the state: at times when people fear death, they go along with measures that they believe, rightly or wrongly, will save them—ev…"-Anne Applebaum, Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism
13. Tyranny of the Minority: Why American Democracy Reached the Breaking Point
By: Steven Levitsky
4.43
Format: 384 pages, Hardcover
A call to reform our antiquated political institutions before it’s too late—from the New York Times… read more
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- history
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14. Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America
By: Kathleen Belew
4.22
Format: 352 pages, Hardcover
"Belew's book helps explain how we got to today's alt right."―Terry Gross, Fresh Air The white p… read more
Want to Read $ 12.60Similar categories in Kathleen Belew's Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America book and Barbara F. Walter's How Civil Wars Start: And How to Stop Them
- history
- politics
- war
- nonfiction
- sociology
- audiobook
"The story of white power as a social movement exposes something broader about the enduring impact of state violence in America. It reveals one catastrophic ricochet of the Vietnam War, in the form of…"-Kathleen Belew, Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America
15. They Knew: How a Culture of Conspiracy Keeps America Complacent
By: Sarah Kendzior
3.94
Format: 256 pages, Hardcover
FINALIST FOR THE LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE “Every sentence delivered. The pathos of truth-see… read more
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- history
- politics
- nonfiction
- sociology
- audiobook
"The word “conspire"-Sarah Kendzior, They Knew: How a Culture of Conspiracy Keeps America Complacent
"The desire to forget is as overwhelming as the obligation not to."-Sarah Kendzior, They Knew: How a Culture of Conspiracy Keeps America Complacent
"History was a feedback loop of unlearned lessons and reverberating lies."-Sarah Kendzior, They Knew: How a Culture of Conspiracy Keeps America Complacent
"There is no such thing as paranoia; your worst fears can come true at any moment,"-Sarah Kendzior, They Knew: How a Culture of Conspiracy Keeps America Complacent
16. Preparing for War: The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism—and What Comes Next
By: Bradley Onishi
4.33
Format: 237 pages, Hardcover
Watching the eerie footage of the January 6 insurrection, Bradley Onishi wondered: If I hadn't left… read more
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- history
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- audiobook
17. Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present
By: Ruth Ben-Ghiat
4.23
Format: 384 pages, Hardcover
Ours is the age of authoritarian rulers: self-proclaimed saviors of the nation who evade accountabi… read more
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- history
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- audiobook
"Designed for instant impact and encouraging feelings of omnipotence, Twitter is the perfect tool for an impulsive, attention-addicted strongman."-Ruth Ben-Ghiat, Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present
"Many strongmen, past and present, have used populist rhetoric that defines their nations as bound by faith, race, and ethnicity rather than by legal rights. For authoritarians, only some people are "…"-Ruth Ben-Ghiat, Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present
18. White Rural Rage: The Threat to American Democracy
By: Thomas F. Schaller
3.82
Format: 320 pages, Hardcover
A searing portrait and damning takedown of America’s proudest citizens — who are also the least lik… read more
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- history
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- audiobook
19. Break It Up: Secession, Division, and the Secret History of America's Imperfect Union
By: Richard Kreitner
3.91
Format: None pages, Audiobook
From journalist and historian Richard Kreitner, a provocative, timely and eye-opening excavation of… read more
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- history
- politics
- civil war
- nonfiction
- audiobook
20. The Next Civil War: Dispatches from the American Future
By: Stephen Marche
3.66
Format: 238 pages, Hardcover
The United States is coming to an end. The only question is how. “Should be required reading for a… read more
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- social science
- history
- politics
- civil war
- war
- nonfiction
- political science
- audiobook
21. The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War
By: Jeff Sharlet
4.02
Format: 352 pages, Hardcover
An unmatched guide to the religious dimensions of American politics, Jeff Sharlet journeys into cor… read more
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- history
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22. They Want to Kill Americans: The Militias, Terrorists, and Deranged Ideology of the Trump Insurgency
By: Malcolm W. Nance
4.16
Format: 320 pages, Hardcover
NOW A NEW YORK TIMES, LOS ANGELES TIMES, USA TODAY AND GREAT LAKES INDEPENDENT BOOKSELLER ASSOCIATI… read more
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- history
- politics
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- audiobook
23. The Conspiracy to End America: Five Ways My Old Party Is Driving Our Democracy to Autocracy
By: Stuart Stevens
4.43
Format: 240 pages, Hardcover
“This is the first must-read of the 2024 election cycle if you want to understand the stakes.” –Nic… read more
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- politics
- history
- nonfiction
- audiobook
24. Attack from Within: How Disinformation Is Sabotaging America
By: Barbara McQuade
4.15
Format: 384 pages, Hardcover
An urgent, comprehensive explanation of the ways disinformation is impacting democracy, and practic… read more
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- social science
- history
- politics
- nonfiction
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- sociology
- audiobook
25. The Destructionists: The Twenty-Five Year Crack-Up of the Republican Party
By: Dana Milbank
4.22
Format: 416 pages, Hardcover
NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • A scalding history of twenty-five years of Republican attempts to hold… read more
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- history
- politics
- nonfiction
- political science
- audiobook
26. End Times: Elites, Counter-Elites, and the Path of Political Disintegration
By: Peter Turchin
4.04
Format: 368 pages, Hardcover
“Peter Turchin brings science to history. Some like it and some prefer their history plain. But eve… read more
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- social science
- history
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- nonfiction
- society
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- sociology
- audiobook
27. Why We Fight: The Roots of War and the Paths to Peace
By: Christopher Blattman
3.93
Format: 400 pages, Hardcover
“ Why We Fight reflects Blattman’s expertise in economics, political science, and history… Blattma… read more
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- history
- politics
- war
- nonfiction
- society
- political science
- sociology
28. Weapons of Mass Delusion: When the Republican Party Lost Its Mind
By: Robert Draper
4.12
Format: 400 pages, Hardcover
One of The Washington Post's 10 Best Books of 2022 The disturbing eyewitness account of how a new … read more
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- history
- politics
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- audiobook
29. We Are Proud Boys: How a Right-Wing Street Gang Ushered in a New Era of American Extremism
By: Andy Campbell
3.83
Format: 320 pages, Hardcover
A gripping investigation into the nation’s most notorious far-right group, revealing how they creat… read more
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- politics
- history
- nonfiction
- audiobook
30. The Great Experiment: Why Diverse Democracies Fall Apart and How They Can Endure
By: Yascha Mounk
3.73
Format: 368 pages, Hardcover
One of Barack Obama's Recommended Reads for Summer “ [A] brave and necessary book . . . Anyone in… read more
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- history
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- society
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- audiobook
31. The Age of the Strongman: How the Cult of the Leader Threatens Democracy around the World
By: Gideon Rachman
4.05
Format: 288 pages, Hardcover
In The Age of the Strongman, Gideon Rachman finds global coherence in the chaos of the new national… read more
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- history
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"Durable political systems ultimately rely on institutions, not individuals."-Gideon Rachman, The Age of the Strongman: How the Cult of the Leader Threatens Democracy around the World
