The Next Republic

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A book for this moment- Both an assessment of our current political leadership and a vision of those who can bring substantive change. What will the post-Trump return to democracy in America look like, and what are its historical antecedents National political correspondent and award-winning author D. D. Guttenplan's The Next Republic is an extraordinarily intense and wide-ranging exploration of how democracy rises and falls in America. The Next Republic introduces us to some of the organizers and politicians who are helping to bring about change in America, like new labor activist JANE McALEVEY; racial justice campaigner (and mayor of Jackson, Mississippi) CHOKWE ANTAR LUMUMBA; environmental activist (and chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party) JANE KLEEB; Chicago's first openly gay Latino public official, CARLOS RAMIREZ-ROSA; Justice Democrats communications director WALEED SHAHID; communications director for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's 2020 campaign CORBIN TRENT; and anti-corruption crusader ZEPHYR TEACHOUT. Guttenplan juxtaposes this new social movement with chapters on key transitions in our nation's history- the Whiskey Rebellion, the Lincoln Republic, and the Roosevelt Republic. Altogether, Guttenplan deeply fathoms the great American problem that is our democracy, and the prospects for its resurgence. Both unyielding and resoundingly hopeful, The New Republic foresees the post-Trump era as one that may not only restore American values, but also see a radical new transformation of them to match the new challenges we face as a nation.

Reviews

"Its high time that someone resurrected authentic 'populism,' activism from below, and showed how it can be the path to a better future. Thats done very convincingly in D.D. Guttenplan's fine book,The Next Republic: The Rise of a New Radical Majority,introducing us along the way to some wonderful people and their achievements, interspersed with carefully executed and pertinent historical interludes. A timely and instructive call to action." Noam Chomsky

"Don Guttenplan has written a profoundly subversive book. He briefly touches base with a few notable progressives (like the Bern and Zephyr Teachout), but at a moment when Trumpism, cynicism, and corruption seem to reign supreme in our politicsin the modest guise of a report on the battles of a series of quasi-anonymous, persistent anti-establishmentarians and political lonershe has made a compelling case for hope and optimism about the future of our democracy, and en passant he has put the meaning of our republic in its historical context." Victor Navasky, publisher emeritus of The Nation

"At a moment when history and truth are under attack, and the survival of our republic is once again in doubt, The Next Republic is a timely, humane, and forceful narrative of our insurgent political momentand a deeply reported contribution to the fight for a progressive future in America." Katrina vanden Heuvel, editor and publisher, The Nation

Nationpolitical reporter Guttenplan details a cautiously optimistic prognosis for a progressive American future, grounded in a resurgence of populism and inclusive, intersectional, anti-corporate 'majoritarian revolt.' ... The profiles [of contemporary activists] are smoothly interspersed with chapters analyzing moments in American history when the needs of everyday people came into conflict with moneyed interests and existing power structures and 'our ancestors confronted and overcame the dominant oligarchy of their day' ... Progressives will find this a hopeful and inspiring book. Publishers Weekly

Author Bio

Throughout the 2015-16 election season, D. D. Guttenplan set the highest standard for election reporting, traveling across the country throughout the primary season, present at the major speeches and rallies of all the candidates, offering deep as well as topical coverage in dozens of articles including many that graced the Nation magazine's cover. Guttenplan's first book, The Holocaust on Trial, was highly praised by Ian Baruma in the New Yorker as "a mixture of superb reportage and serious reflection." His biography of I. F. Stone, American Radical- The Life and Times of I. F. Stone, won the Sperber Prize for Biography. Guttenplan wrote and presented two radio documentaries for the BBC, Guns- An American Love Affair, and War, Lies and Audiotape, about the Gulf of Tonkin incident, as well as producing an acclaimed film, Edward Said- The Last Interview. A former editor at Vanity Fair, senior editor at the Village Voice, and media columnist at New York Newsday, Guttenplan's reporting on the Happy Land Social Club fire in the Bronx won a Page One Award from the New York Newspaper Guild. He was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for his investigative reporting on New York City's fire code. In 2019 Guttenplan became the editor of the Nation magazine. He lives in New York City and Vermont in the US and in London, England.