An Uncivil War Lib/E: Taking Back Our Democracy in an Age of Trumpian Disinformation and Thunderdome Politics

by Greg Sargent

The author of the Washington Post's hugely influential Plum Line sounds the alarm on the subversion of our democracy by self-interested politicians, greedy plutocrats, foreign government hacking, racial prejudice, media propaganda and our own lack of vigilance, and what must be done to save it before it's too late.

The sophistication and ambition of those now eroding American democracy by gaming the rules in their favor is unprecedented, including computer-generated gerrymandering, unreasonable voter ID laws, limitations on voting hours, a lack of convenient polling places, and efforts to disenfranchise likely Democratic voters. This has been accompanied by foreign government intervention and an unprecedented level of political disinformation that threatens to undermine the very possibility of shared agreement on facts and poses profound new challenges to the media's ability to inform the citizenry.

Yet it would be wrong to think that the problem is that Republicans alone have learned how to work the system-our electoral process is undermining itself from within: its dysfunctional rules incentivize vicious partisan efforts to tilt the playing field, combining in a toxic escalation of polarization and a frightening corrosion of basic norms that threaten to totally eradicate fair play in politics.

In An Uncivil War, Washington Post journalist Greg Sargent vividly lifts the curtain on the nightmare dynamic that is transforming American politics into little more than a naked power struggle. Yet An Uncivil War is not only a thorough dissection of an ultimately immoral system, but a handbook for turning that around by restoring authentic democracy. Given the incredibly high stakes in 2018 and 2020, Sargent's book could not be more essential.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, History, American History, Social Science, Historical, Government

Audio CD

First published October 16, 2018

Reviews

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

In an account that includes numerous interviews with political operatives and strategists in both parties, political scientists and historians, An Uncivil War proposes practical ways of shoring up our democracy—a series of guiding objectives that large-D and small-d democrats alike must treat as eminently attainable. It is a handbook for restoring fair play to our politics at a moment when the stakes could not be higher.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book! I was losing all hope because of this political climate that we are in. Greg Sargent breaks things down and gives hope for the future. Glad I read it!

[Chris Jaffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book because I'm a big fan of Sargent's twitter account. This book isn't as good as his twitter feed, though. If I could give half-stars, I'd give this 3.5. It's not bad, but it reads a little light - like it's an extended column rather than a book.

Sargent looks at our current climate and tries to balance concern/fear due to the Trump's attack on our nation's institutions with some levelheaded hope. We need to react, but shouldn't overreact. You can't get complacent, but you also shouldn't panic.

One main theme of this book is that very little going on actually began with Trump. Conservatives have been delegitimitizing news for decades. There's been attempts to undermine the right to vote since at least 2000. There is an asymmetrical polarization and the GOP has been playing constitutional hardball since at least the era of Newt Gingrich. They've been screaming voter fraud for decades, but Justin Levitt did a study on all elections from 2000 to 2016 (primaries, generals, special elections, municipal elections) and could find only a few dozen incidents of this occurring out of over 1,000,000,000 votes cast. He said you're more likely to be struck by lightening, but the GOP has pushed this Big Lie since well before Trump.

But Sargent also cautions against going too far. We are at a historical moment of threat, but it's not the first/only such moment. We need to rise to the occasion, but rising to the occasion is very different from a race to the bottom. Ultimately, he argues on behalf of fighting the Trump era's war on democratic norms by rejuvinating democracy. Dems should fight to increase the right to vote through things like automatic voter registration bills. The Dems shouldn't engage in the hypergenmandering of the GOP but should push to have independent commissions try to have nonpartisan maps created. The goal should be to try to find a way to de-escalate partisanship, not to further it. But he also says we should be willing to think big. For example, give statehood to Puerto Rico and Washington DC. Also, he notes that the media needs to improve its game. He find situations where it has, but plenty of times when it hasn't.

He also notes that once Trump goes, this era will continue. After all, the circumstances that caused Trump's rise all predated him and will remain in place.

It's a decent book, but E.J. Dionne's "After Trump" is a superior example of this sort of work.

[Bettie]

Malware For Humans

[Cherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another scholarly look at how we got here and the polarization in politics today. Not so much on the "how to fix it", but points out some things that appear to be moving in the right direction.

More indications that we need to get people interested in critical thinking and civic-mindedness earlier.

It is shocking to me that "middle america" type people these days are spreading ridiculous claims that "democracy" (not even the Democratic Party, but the actual idea of democracy) is totalitarianism and communism, and not really popular rule. I can see how it happens, but it is still shocking that people believe it.

It really reminds me of Nazi propaganda during the lead-up to WWII and how willing people were to swallow things whole that seem ridiculous to anyone who looks at it critically. In Berlin Diary, Shirer seems to think it's a German cultural propensity to consider anything German to be good and anything non-German to be suspect, and you can see the exact same thing happening in the US today. Republicans consider anything Republican to be good, anything non-Republican to be suspect. Democrats do the exact same thing, too. Confirmation bias on overdrive....

This book tends to blame conservative media and lawmakers more than their liberal counterparts and it's possible that it's true specifically of mainstream media and lawmakers, but I think the actual populace has issues on both sides of the aisle.

[Cherie O'Boyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The hardest part for me to get my head around is that there are people, politically powerful people in this country, who do not believe in democracy. They are opposed to a political system where each of us has an equal voice in shaping our country and in choosing our leaders. Those people have been working on several fronts and mostly behind the scenes, for the last several decades to dismantle democracy. This book details those efforts.
We are not talking about foreign powers and influencers. We're talking about voter suppression, gerrymandering, destroying the ability of a free press to both investigate and publish misconduct, the disassembling of public education, and a variety of other strategies aimed at dismantling democracy.
This is a quick, easy, and important read. In the final chapter the author outlines various ways this destruction might be stopped, for those of you who finish the book with any hope that our democracy can be salvaged.

[WILLIAM MACKILLIGAN · Rating 5 out of 5]

The beat goes on.

I am reading this in March of 2025 at the beginning of the 2nd term of Donald Trump. The book eludes to the fact that Trump's reign has passed. Not so fast folks. The Trump reign continues. The treat of a lost democracy also continues. The backroom deals, of not only the Trump administration's but previous administration's,continues,as is suggested in this book. The "fixes" will be difficult at best. Those "fixes" my give us hope but may also backfire down the road.
It was very interesting to read about the past Trump administration in light of his current administration knowing the fact that many Republican leaders seem to have a ring in their noses while being lead around by Trump. While the Democrats can't seem to get out of their own way to help save our democracy. When finished reading this book one wonders just what is in store for us.

[Paul Deaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written before the 2018 Midterms and Bret Kavanaugh's confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court, Greg Sargent provides an outline of key issues to help Democrats as we prepare for the 2020 general election. He covers voter suppression, gerrymandering, the role of disinformation in our current politics, and refreshes our memory of the hardball constitutional politics played by Republican leadership in recent years. He frames up what Democrats can do about our politics that favors democracy and fair play in governance.

In a couple hundred pages Sargent brings together national issues that resonate on a local level. If a person were to read a single book about national politics, An Uncivil War should be the one.

[Donnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is a really good summary of some of the Trump saga and how we got there. I with I had read it when it first came out. Unfortunately, since it was written before the end of Trump's presidency, the author is unaware of the many things that have happened since the point his book stopped, including Jan. 6th. He spends time speculating when the reader already knows some of the answers. It is a good summary of much of his presidency and also the cultural/societal trends that made him a viable candidate to begin with. His suggestions for dealing with Trump are things that have been discussed at length. They are still good ideas and we should be implementing them.

[B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to say first that I really enjoy Greg Sargent's editorials in the Washington Post. This book went over its points well on how our democracy is slipping away with voter suppression, gerrymandering, the attack on the impartial media, and hardball tactics in the Congress and speaks to how to correct the downward path we are on. Even though, at times, my eyes glazed over from reading too much of the same, or was it just horror from our current situation with Trump, it's still well written with salient points based on incredible research and reporting.

[Ben Vore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sargent’s blog for The Washington Post consistently features perceptive, incisive commentary, and An Uncivil War is a fairly comprehensive analysis of the current dysfunctional state of American politics. Regular readers of The Plum Line will not be surprised by the conclusion he draws — “Republican assaults on our democratic and governing norms really have been more destructive than Democratic ones” — but something about the book length format dulls the urgency of his daily commentary.

[Davina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick and to the point. This book stresses the importance of staying engaged, particularly with less glamorous state elections, and it's clear why that's important when you look at North Carolina. I think his prescription is sound, and certainly not radical. He references many fine works to come out in recent years which look at the state of our democracy. I think this is an important work, and highly recommend.

[Alastair Dallas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good discussion of what it means to be a democracy and the ways that a nation moves closer to, or backslides from, the ideal. Generally non-partisan, while admitting that most of the extreme "constitutional hardball" has been perpetrated by Republicans of late. Generally focused on the constitutional compromise that leaves voting machinery to the states, but cognizant of the Trumpian nightmare lurking in the White House.

[Matt · Rating 1 out of 5]

Probably the most hypocritical garbage I've ever read. I was hoping to find insights for understanding various viewpoints, instead this book is pure Trump bashing. It acknowledges a few decades of partisan politics and abuses of executive powers, yet always turns to painting Trump as the pure evil force destroying this country. How is this "taking back our democracy"? It is nothing more than divisive rhetoric.

[Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's a lot here that's true and that I agree with but not much at all that hasn't already been well-covered elsewhere.

If you follow this stuff online much from various reliable and knowledgeable journalists and such, this feels more like a review of the familiar than any new insights or depths of detail.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. I hate that our nation is so divided and everything has become scorched earth policies with compromise as a bad word. We seem to have forgotten that we are Americans first and our party comes second, if that should even be a consideration. I would suggest that everyone read this with an open mind and then see if we can all get along.

[Carol Willis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A reasoned look at some of the fundamental challenges of our era that were present before Trump's election and will continue after his presidency, unless we all work with intention to restore our civil institutions. The title makes it sound a bit like an emotional appeal, but it is not. On the contrary, it reads a bit dry.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very reporterly style, lots of info but not dense. Quite general on this historical parts. Not a lot of depth.

Basically a series of interrelated articles. A bit more so than most chapters of most books.

A fast read. Some but not much I hadn’t read in other books. A great choice for someone who hasn’t already researched a lot about this stuff.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

For all the despair, bleak hopelessness herein, where we learn American Democracy has all but failed, Sargent at least shows us there is a way out. Whether or not it’s too late for us to save ourselves remains to be seen.

[Patrick Bair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really excellent analysis. I could have read more!

[Doug McGuire · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent study on where our democracy is threatened with suggestions on how we might right the ship. Highly recommended!

[Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely narrow by design, but still fills an unfilled gap in books about how to answer what Sargent calls "constitutional hardball" on the part of the GOP in the last 20 years.

[Geoff Walling · Rating 2 out of 5]

Basically makes the case that Trump is bad. I knew this before reading the book.

[Alex Maldonado · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn’t learn much more than I already knew. Maybe it’s a better book if you aren’t already deep into politics, but at that point I wonder if you would even be interested in it.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit dated because written before 2018 elections. The insights and commentary are still valuable. A short precise description of the mess America is in.

[Mario · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some parts were interesting, but it was mostly a retread of stuff I've read elsewhere.

[Michael Donahoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting and informative book. Easy to read. Enjoyed it.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly shallow but easy time capsule of a read. It's only a few years old and yet it feels like it's ancient.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much could be added were this book written today rather than in 2018, but it provides a good summary.

[David Wunderlich · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is a bit unfocused. It's largely interested in reforms to voting systems, combatting gerrymandering most of all, but it strays from that central through line at times. For a book striving to take back democracy that worries about constitutional hardball, it mentions but strangely neglects to recommend getting rid of things that have been used to hold the very workings of government themselves hostage like the debt ceiling (repeal it) or government shutdowns (make appropriations continue at present levels when they lapse).

Many of its complaints aren't new and are old hat to people who've been paying attention to the politics of the last decade or so. I'm not sure if anything in it would be new to regular readers of Sargent's work. I guess it's a book the politically fluent are supposed to recommend to those new to the matter or just less interested in it, but that makes it not much of a book for me.