The Masses are the Ruling Classes

"In Epstein's hands, populism refers more to pervasive cultural sensibilities, shared by the mass of the American public, than to the personalities, policies or political strategies of individual political figures. And his contention is that politicians must adhere to these populist cultural sensibilities if they are to succeed electorally." -- The European Legacy "While this book contains no reference to Trump, the cultural logic it unfolds in the context of current events provides such a convincing explanation of his rise that it is difficult to avoid reading it in that way. Epstein's conclusions are troubling news for believers in the virtues of the public sphere and likely a bitter pill for many of Trump's American detractors to swallow." -- Andrew Simon Gilbert, The European Legacy "Epstein has succeeded in revealing the sometimes unhealthy symbiosis between the psychology professions and the democratic societies that nurture them. For this reason alone, his book deserves a wide readership. If you are an applied psychologist, it may even change the way you practice." -- Paul Moloney, Counselling Psychologist at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, The Psychologist "In this thought-provoking book, Epstein builds on his lifetime of work to demonstrate how the mass endorsement of US citizens determines social policy. The core of this mass consent is "policy romanticism"-an exaggerated extreme individualism that values heroic personal responsibility and encourages citizens to look inward for solutions rather than at social conditions that create inequalities and restrict opportunities... Epstein devotes each of the final five chapters to a social program, arguing that these programs reinforce and celebrate the American romantic elements of extreme individualism rather than solve social problems or challenge social inequality. A must read for students of sociology and public policy." --CHOICE "Epstein has succeeded in revealing the sometimes unhealthy symbiosis between the psychology professions and the democratic societies that nurture them. For this reason alone, his book deserves a wide readership. If you are an applied psychologist, it may even change the way that you practice." --The Psychologist