American Apocalypse

The war on American democracy is at a fever pitch. Such a corrosive state of affairs did not arise spontaneously but instead was pushed, top-down, by six private sector special interest groups. In American Apocalypse Rena Steinzor argues that these groups are nothing more than well-financed armies fighting a battle of attrition against the national government. The book begins at the end of Lyndon Johnson's presidency, when the modern regulatory state was born. Agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration ensured that everything from our air to our medicine was safe. But efforts to thwart this "big government" agenda began swiftly. Business leaders built a multi-billion dollar presence in the Capitol, and the rest of the six interest groups followed. While the groups do not coordinate their attacks, their priorities fall within a tight bullseye. Over the long-term, as the prevalence of global pandemics and climate crises increase, an incapacitated national government will usher in unimaginable harm. This book is the first to conceptualize these groups together, as one deconstructive, awe-inspiring force. Steinzor delves into their histories, mapping strategies, tactics, and characteristics that make them so powerful. She offers a comprehensive story about the downfall of American democracy.