After the Fall: From the End of History to the Crisis of Democracy, How Politicians Broke Our World

by Ian Shapiro

The collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989 ushered in an era of tremendous political optimism: communism was receding and democracy was on the march in Eastern Europe, Latin America, and much of Asia. Even surviving communist regimes were adopting capitalism, and the stagflation of the 1970s and industrial strife of the 1980s were in the rearview mirror.

Four decades later, euphoria has given way to resentment and pessimism. Britain left the EU, Donald Trump’s populist crusade gained him the White House not once, but twice, and right-wing parties have gained power across Europe and other parts of the world on a scale not seen since the 1930s. What happened?

In After the Fall, pre-eminent political scientist Ian Shapiro argues that the current crisis was far from inevitable. Politicians made consistently bad choices on topics ranging from NATO’s future to the War on Terror to humanitarian intervention and the governance of their economies. In doing so, they fostered a crisis of confidence in political institutions, empowered anti-system parties and candidates, and produced a new Cold War as dangerous as the last.

By scrutinizing the roads not taken by politicians in the past, Shapiro maps out what better futures might still be possible.

Genres: Politics, History

320 pages, Hardcover

Published May 5, 2026

About the author

Ian Shapiro is Sterling Professor of Political Science and Henry R. Luce Director of the MacMillan Center at Yale University. He is known primarily for interventions in debates on democracy and on methods of conducting social science research. In democratic theory, he has argued that democracy's value comes primarily from its potential to limit domination rather than, as is conventionally assumed, from its operation as a system of participation, representation, or preference aggregation. In debates about social scientific methods, he is chiefly known for rejecting prevalent theory-driven and method-driven approaches in favor of starting with a problem and then devising suitable methods to study it.

Reviews

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was some of the most impressive political and historical analysis I’ve ever read, and yet so easy and enjoyable to read. I highly recommend this for anyone interested in US and global politics today.

I’ve been a fan of Ian Shapiro after watching his Yale courses online (if you haven’t watched them, you must!) so I was excited to see he was coming out with a new book, and this did not disappoint. I knew it was a five-star book from page one. I highlighted entire pages. There is not a single unnecessary word in this book; who is his editor and can they edit everything I read? He challenged my view on many things, and may do the same for you, but he made arguments that were hard to refute.

[Allison ༻hikes the bookwoods༺ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not gonna lie, this one is dense. Shapiro packs decades of political history into a tight, argument-driven narrative to explain how we ended up here: from Brexit and Trump to the broader rise of populism. It’s smart, thorough, and often compelling, but definitely not an easy read. I feel like I only scratched the surface and would benefit from a reread… but realistically, I don’t have the stamina for it.

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you think that political and economic systems are broken, Ian Shapiro is here to tell you how it happened and what can be done about it. This book is a very accessible account of how economists and politicians took advantage of the stagflation of the 1970s and the collapse of international communism to declare Keynesian economics dead and to replace it with neoliberal "trickle-down" economics and all the inequalities and insecurities that resulted. It was easier to expand NATO than to admit more countries into the EU with all the restrictions and red tape, so NATO expanded right up to the Russian border, with predictably unpleasant results. Austerity for the masses was accompanied by lavish government help for the richest elites; people who'd recently escaped communism could be forgiven for wondering if things really were better in the capitalist world. When things got difficult at home, leaders hoping for reelection decided that invading some foreign country (preferably a non-white country) might be popular, only to find that these things are a lot easier to get into than to get out of. We're still living with the consequences of some of those little adventures.

It isn't exactly uplifting to read about the list of missed opportunities, out-of-touch politicians, despairing and resentful populations, and the inevitable charlatans and oligarchs turning up to take advantage, but the author makes it as easy as possible with clear, concise writing, lots of helpful notes, and a final chapter discussing what can be done to get out of this mess that we've spent that last several decades getting into.

With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a prepublication ebook.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, primarily because my political views are not in alignment with how our country is currently being run. But it is not just the current administration’s fault — these threats to democracy have been going on for years — it just seems more exasperating now, with members of Congress more concerned with keeping their cushy jobs and staying in favor with the president instead of working in the best interests of their constituents. The author does a great job explaining how many politicians have consistently chosen power over service. Term limits for Congress and the Supreme Court would go a long way toward helping change that, in my opinion. An interesting read.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Basic Books for the eARC and the opportunity to read this book. All opinions are my own.

[Brian Rothbart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Closer to 4.5.

While it becomes a bit repetitive at times, After the Fall is an engaging, highly readable, and nonpartisan examination of the political and economic failures that followed the fall of the Berlin Wall. Shapiro provides a thoughtful account of how decisions made in the post-Cold War era helped shape many of the challenges and divisions we face today. An insightful and accessible read for anyone interested in understanding the roots of contemporary politics.