Nichols (The Death of Expertise), a professor of national security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College, delivers a searing critique of contemporary political culture and the rise of illiberalism on both the right and the left. He accuses Democrats of seeking to impeach Trump before he took office; lambastes Republicans for refusing to hear evidence in Trump's 2019 impeachment trial and acquitting him for inciting an insurrection in 2021; and sketches the rise of populist and authoritarian politicians in Hungary, India, Italy, and Ukraine. But the fault, according to Nichols, lies not just with these would-be autocrats, but with the voters who put them in office in the first place. He blames social media for boosting narcissistic traits and fostering social isolation ("a terrible confluence of loving oneself more while loving one's neighbor less"), and claims that though people believe they're living in near-apocalyptic times, this is actually an age of unprecedented peace and prosperity. In Nichols's view, the scapegoating of shadowy "elites" by voters who are "unwilling to look in a mirror" and behave like "resilient, civic-minded citizens" is setting the stage for the downfall of liberal democracy. Unfortunately, he underplays sources of discontent, including income inequality and the effects of climate change (such problems, he writes, "are within the power of a democracy to solve"), and casts "internet culture" as an ill-defined yet all-powerful villain. This cranky manifesto is unlikely to change minds. (Aug.)

Why the future of democracy is in peril. Nichols, a columnist for USA Today, contributing writing at the Atlantic, and professor at the U.S. Naval War College, joins other recent political analysts in decrying the weakening of democracy, laying the blame on Americans' lack of engagement in political life, ignorance of issues, and failure to contribute to the common good. "When we disengage from society and ignore our civic obligations, we are bad citizens," he writes. The American voter exemplifies a "politics of narrow self-interest" blended with "general cynicism" about government, politicians, and even their fellow Americans. The author's assessment of the general political landscape is more persuasive than his analysis that disengagement stems from the "peace, affluence, and technological progress" which has afforded most people too much leisure, making them materialistic and narcissistic. With nothing to challenge them, they long "for a great struggle that could give drama and deeper meaning." This yearning for conflict leads to anger, nostalgia, and social revenge--all sentiments fomented by the populist right. When enough people are "continually angry, entitled, and conspiracy-addled," Nichols writes, "civic life becomes impossible." As an example of what a narcissistic community looks like, the author offers a portrait of Chiaramonte, a village in southern Italy that was documented in the 1950s. Widely distrusting politicians and the clergy, the residents cared only for themselves and their families--a tribalism that Nichols sees increasingly in the U.S. Nichols attests to having faith in the durability of liberal democracy, suggesting several ways to revive citizenship: parties should "remain grounded in identifiable principles" instead of being "megaphones for the most vocal activists within them"; young people should be required to fulfill a "summer of service" in the military; and electoral and constitutional reform should include statehood for Puerto Rico and D.C., expanding the House. "In a liberal democracy," he writes, "citizens are masters of their fate." A strong argument for civic reengagement. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.