A political science manifesto for the age of populism : challenging growth, markets, inequality, and resentment

Populism and authoritarian-populist parties have surged in the 21st century. In the United States, Donald Trump appears to have become the poster president for the surge. David M. Ricci, in this call to arms, thinks Trump is symptomatic of the changes that have caused a crisis among Americans - namely, mass economic and creative destruction: automation, outsourcing, deindustrialization, globalization, privatization, financialization, digitalization, and the rise of temporary jobs - all breeding resentment. Rather than dwelling on symptoms, Ricci focuses on the root of our nation's problems. Thus, creative destruction, aiming at perpetual economic growth, encouraged by neoliberalism, creates the economic inequality that fuels resentment and leads to increased populism. Ricci urges political scientists to highlight this destruction meaningfully and substantively, to use empirical realism to put human beings back into politics. Ricci's sensible argument conveys a sense of political urgency, grappling with real-world problems and working to transform abstract speculations into tangible, useful tools. The result is a passionate book, important not only to political scientists, but to anyone who cares about public life. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core. Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Title page......Page 5 Copyright information......Page 6 Table of contents......Page 7 Preface......Page 9 A Compound Proposition......Page 13 What is Political Science For?......Page 14 A Previous Political Era......Page 15 Populism......Page 18 Three Responses......Page 21 Consulting Great Thinkers......Page 22 Neoliberalism......Page 24 Scope and Methods......Page 25 Procedure and Substance......Page 27 Universities......Page 29 Multiversities......Page 31 The Temple of Science......Page 34 The Temple’s Roof......Page 36 Limitations......Page 37 Economics......Page 38 Mainstream Economics......Page 41 Mainstream Assumptions......Page 43 Rational Calculations......Page 44 Prices......Page 45 Mainstream Teachings......Page 46 Gross Domestic Product and Welfare......Page 47 Economic Growth......Page 48 Three Propositions......Page 49 The Salience of Economics......Page 50 Methodological Individualism......Page 51 Voluntary Exchanges......Page 53 Academic Imperialism......Page 55 Promoting Growth......Page 57 Success for Economics......Page 59 Cognitive Capture......Page 60 An Extra-Scholarly Role......Page 61 Creative Destruction......Page 62 The Cost Side......Page 64 Luddites......Page 66 Who is Getting What?......Page 67 The Road Not Taken......Page 69 Karl Polanyi......Page 73 Targeting Neoliberalism......Page 74 What is Neoliberalism?......Page 75 Homo Politicus......Page 78 Homo Economicus......Page 79 Economic Consequences......Page 80 The Market-Based Society......Page 81 Natural Markets......Page 82 Entrepreneurs......Page 83 Free Trade......Page 85 Shareholders and Stakeholders......Page 86 Scarcity......Page 88 Economic Growth......Page 89 Ideology......Page 91 Political Consequences......Page 92 Public Goods......Page 93 Democracy......Page 95 The Middle Class......Page 96 Populism......Page 99 The Death of Truth......Page 100 John Stuart Mill......Page 102 6 Humanism......Page 104 The Default Setting......Page 105 Humanism......Page 106 A New Role......Page 109 Against Tyranny......Page 112 For Realism......Page 113 What Should We Challenge?......Page 114 Real People......Page 115 Real Markets......Page 117 Driverless Cars......Page 119 7 A Story for Political Science......Page 122 Lists and Stories......Page 123 A Tale for Political Scientists......Page 125 An Immoral Index......Page 126 Another Immoral Index......Page 128 Hartz’s Story......Page 131 Where Hartz was Right......Page 133 Redistribution......Page 136 Political Action......Page 137 Just Say No?......Page 138 George Bernard Shaw......Page 139 Preface......Page 141 1 The Age of Populism......Page 144 2 The Temple of Science......Page 151 3 Mainstream Economics......Page 158 4 Creative Destruction......Page 170 5 Targeting Neoliberalism......Page 183 6 Humanism......Page 213 7 A Story for Political Science......Page 229 Name Index......Page 247 Subject Index......Page 255 Populism and authoritarian-populist parties have surged in the 21st century. In the United States, Donald Trump appears to have become the poster president for the surge. David M. Ricci, in this call to arms, thinks Trump is symptomatic of the changes that have caused a crisis among Americans - namely, mass economic and creative destruction: automation, outsourcing, deindustrialization, globalization, privatization, financialization, digitalization, and the rise of temporary jobs - all breeding resentment, which then breeds populism. Rather than dwelling on symptoms, Ricci focuses on the root of our nation's problems. Thus, creative destruction, aiming at perpetual economic growth, encouraged by neoliberalism, creates the economic inequality that fuels resentment and leads to increased populism, putting democracy at rick. Ricci urges political scientists to highlight this destruction meaningfully and substantively, to use empirical realism to put human beings back into politics. Ricci's sensible argument conveys a sense of political urgency, grappling with real-world problems and working to transform abstract speculations into tangible, useful tools. The result is a passionate book, important not only to political scientists, but to anyone who cares about public life "Populism and authoritarian-populist parties have surged in the 21st century. In the United States, Donald Trump appears to have become the poster president for the surge. David M. Ricci, in this call to arms, thinks Trump is symptomatic of the changes that have caused a crisis among Americans - namely, mass economic and creative destruction: automation, outsourcing, deindustrialization, globalization, privatization, financialization, digitalization, and the rise of temporary jobs - all breeding resentment. Rather than dwelling on symptoms, Ricci focuses on the root of our nation's problems. Thus, creative destruction, aiming at perpetual economic growth, encouraged by neoliberalism, creates the economic inequality that fuels resentment and leads to increased populism. Ricci urges political scientists to highlight this destruction meaningfully and substantively, to use empirical realism to put human beings back into politics. Ricci's sensible argument conveys a sense of political urgency, grappling with real-world problems and working to transform abstract speculations into tangible, useful tools. The result is a passionate book, important not only to political scientists, but to anyone who cares about public life"--Publisher's website