On Fascism

To prevent the ravages of fascism, it's essential to understand its roots in our national character and experience. The twelve lessons in On Fascism draws from American history and brilliantly complement those of Timothy Snyder's On Tyranny.
--Laurence Tribe, Carl M. Loeb University Professor, Harvard University, and author of To End a Presidency

It is comforting to assume our nation is built on a secure foundation that protects our right to 'life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.' But far from being on solid ground, we are instead walking a precarious tightrope with no net except our better angels. As MacWilliams shows, authoritarian demagogues and a frightening portion of the public have always been willing and eager to tear away the balance pole of reason and push democracy into the abyss. By showing the failures of the past and the present, this accessible, alarming, and insightful work is a much needed reality check and counterweight to the resurgent extremism of our times.
--Brian Baird, PhD and former congressman for Washington's 3rd district

This is a very scary book--and one that every citizen who wants America to remain a democracy needs to read. A University of Massachusetts Amherst expert in authoritarianism, Matthew MacWilliams demonstrates with a rich review of US history how fragile (and still flawed) our system is. And, he convincingly warns that 'Trumpism' has put us on a path toward 'a hollowing out of our Republic' that only work and dedication by every citizen can help us avoid.
--Morton Kondracke, political commentator and author of Jack Kemp

In On Fascism, MacWilliams draws upon years of political campaign experience for his insights, further informed by an encyclopedic knowledge of public opinion data and his scholarly interest in and grasp of authoritarianism. The result is an eminently readable, fact-packed and compellingly argued treatise on just how imperiled America's representative democracy is at this point in the 21st Century.
--Les Francis, Deputy Chief of Staff to President Jimmy Carter

Written in a pithy manner, this is both a solemn reminder of America's unreckoned and yet celebrated past, and a course for a better future. MacWilliams guides readers in understanding how authoritarianism, through fear and ignorance, has shaped U.S. history, and will continue to do so if not properly addressed.
--Booklist