Madison’s Sorrow: Today’s War on the Founders and America’s Liberal Ideal

O’Leary (Saving Democracy), a political scientist at the University of California, Irvine, delivers a sharp-elbowed yet shallow polemic accusing modern right-wingers of attempting to dismantle the liberal democratic traditions of America’s founding fathers. Donald Trump’s presidency, O’Leary contends, is the culmination of two trends in American conservatism that emerged in the latter half of the 20th century: a white identity politics that expanded beyond its traditional Southern base in response to the civil rights movement, and a winner-take-all conceptualization of capitalism that has fostered rising inequality. O’Leary sees these ideas as antithetical to the founding father’s vision for America, which drew from the meritocratic ideals of 17th-century philosopher John Locke, among other Enlightenment thinkers. O’Leary traces this moral vision from Thomas Jefferson and James Madison to Barack Obama, whose 2008 election appeared to usher in a new era of liberal consensus, yet failed to effectively channel public anger about the 2008 financial crisis. Though O’Leary makes a strong case about the relationship between Trumpism and white identity politics, he fails to fully explain how the president’s protectionist trade policies and immigration restrictions fit with libertarian orthodoxies. Progressive readers will nod their heads in agreement that the “illiberal” wing of the Republican Party is bad for the country; those who need more convincing should look elsewhere. (May)