Matthew Rhodes-Purdy, Clemson University; Rachel Navarre, Bridgewater State University; and Stephen Utych, YouGov
For The Age of Discontent: Populism, Extremism, and Conspiracy Theories in Contemporary Democracies

Matthew Rhodes-Purdy (Clemson University), Rachel Navarre (Bridgewater State University) and Stephen Utych’s book The Age of Discontent: Populism, Extremism, and Conspiracy Theories in Contemporary Democracies, published by Cambridge University Press, offers a sweeping contribution to knowledge about the pernicious forces underlying democratic discontent in the modern era.

In their book, the authors develop a theory about the “affective political economy of discontent.” Prior arguments describe economic strife and cultural backlash as competing explanations for populism, conspiracism, and extremism. By contrast, the authors’ theory bridges macro-level politics with micro-level psychology. They explain that economic change causes emotional reactions which, in turn, cause cultural and democratic discontent. The book marshals an impressive array of evidence to test each step in the theory, including experiments and surveys in the U.S. alongside comparative case studies that include countries in Europe, South America, and North America. Their careful theory and analyses leave leaders with a richer understanding of the challenges to preserving democracy in the twenty-first century.