Kevin Young Co-Edits New Book

Content

Now available from Emerald Publishing, “Trump and the Deeper Crisis”  is a new book co-edited by UMass Amherst Professor Kevin A. Young, along with Michael Schwartz, Stony Brook University,  and Richard Lachmann, University at Albany.

The essays are published as part of the series “Political Power and Social Theory” from Emerald Publishing. According to the publisher, “While many analysts emphasize Trump’s uniqueness, he can also be viewed as a symptom of a deeper systemic crisis. This collection examines the roots, impacts, and future prospects of Trumpism as well as the possibilities for combatting it.”

“Trump and the Deeper Crisis” is an interdisciplinary collaboration among historians, sociologists and political scientists. “Chapters analyze the role of racism and xenophobia, evangelical religion, and elite support in enabling Trump’s political ascent, demonstrating how both his demagogic style and his policies draw from the historic repertoire of the Right. The authors also trace the impacts of his presidency on inequality, health, ecological destruction, and U.S. empire. As far-right forces cement their hold on the Republican Party, and as the Democratic Party appears unable to stop them, what lies ahead? The authors argue that confronting Trumpism requires a frontal attack on the conditions that incubated the monster.”

In addition to editing the collection, Young wrote the Introduction, “Trump as Symptom,” and two chapters: “Trump, Biden, and Why Elections Don’t Bring Bigger Policy Changes” and “Fossil Fuels, the Ruling Class, and Prospects for the Climate Movement.” His previous publications include “Blood of the Earth: Resource Nationalism, Revolution and Empire in Bolivia,” “Making the Revolution: Histories of the Latin American Left”  and “Levers of Power: How the 1% Rules and What the 99% Can Do About It,” co-authored with Michael Schwartz and Tarun Banerjee.

This article first appeared on UMass Amherst News & Events.