Normalcy Paradox

Why Americans Crave Political Stability but Get Chaos

By: Sean Trende

A paradigm-shifting look at how we got to our current moment of political chaos, from the highly regarded analyst credited with predicting the forces that gave rise to Donald Trump.

It is a familiar lament among US citizens: why can’t our politics—and our politicians—go back to normal?

For most of our history, the episodes of major transformation in our country—from the left or the right—have come in short bursts, and were followed almost immediately by a backlash. Time and again, the center has held and reasserted itself, acting as a check on runaway ideology and reimposing stability. So what has gone wrong in the last generation, as the country has lurched back and forth between the political extremes, with seeming incoherence? Why are politicians being elected—and staying in power—even though the policies they advocate are out of step with the majority of the population? In The Normalcy Paradox, Sean Trende has given us the clearest and most arresting explanation yet. Starting with the impeachment of Bill Clinton, he dissects the very actions that have led us to the breakdown of our most important institutions. Well before Donald Trump, there were rules broken, norms shattered, problems within our legislative structure that were exploited, and ideological shifts within the far right and far left, that led to the dumpster fire we have today.

This isn’t a partisan screed. It’s a tragedy, a story of how reasonable choices can lead to unreasonable outcomes. Trende critiques both the radical left and the postmodern right, showing how both sides have contributed to America’s polarization and decline. From the cultural shifts in academia to the collapse of public trust, Trende offers a sobering autopsy of a nation spinning out of control.

Provocative and insightful, The Normalcy Paradox is for anyone hoping to understand why America feels broken—and whether it can ever be fixed.