Demolition Agenda - by Thomas O McGarity (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A sweeping account of the first Trump administration's systematic dismantling of the national agencies that protect our health, safety, and climate-and the progressive and equitable political future that is possible when we put people over power and greed

Now revised with a new preface and final chapter on what to expect from the current administration and how we can secure a thriving collective future--both socially and economically

In the wake of a return to Trump-era governance, Demolition Agenda is more urgent than ever, revealing the ministration's destruction of our government institutions--exposing Americans to greater risks while empowering corporate interests.

Thomas O. McGarity, author, legal scholar, and former president of Center for Progressive Reform, profiles the toxic leaders and intricate strategies that the Trump administration employed to rid the government of protective policies and institutions--harming the health of a nation and accelerating climate change and economic turmoil. Including:

• Scott Pruitt's corruption scandal at the EPA
  
• Elaine Chao's weakening of transportation safety measures
  
• Ryan Zinke's stint as secretary of the interior before he faced eighteen federal inquiries and was fired
  
• And the actions and impacts of other controversial figures such as Rick Perry, Betsy DeVos, Sonny Perdue, and Andrew Puzder

While chronicling these abuses of power that defined the first Trump administration, McGarity also provides precise clarity on what we can continue to expect from the rest of his current term, what further harm can be done, and what this means for the future of our nation.

While harrowing at times, Demolition Agenda ends hopefully, with a new chapter that provides a road map for future progressive politicians to reinstate a safe, healthy, and equitable society for all Americans--and most importantly, regain their trust.

Review Quotes

"The wealth of solid information in Demolition Agenda about what happened to national agencies regulating health, science, and the environment makes it an astonishing and weighty read. It's the sort of book that journalists, activists, and historians may want to keep on their shelves-forever."
--Forbes

"A behind-the-scenes look at a program of social destruction carried on with little fanfare--and to devastating effect."
--Kirkus Reviews

"Backed by solid research and deep knowledge of regulatory law, this is a persuasive argument for the power of government to make a positive impact."
--Publishers Weekly

"Powerful special interests wield outsized influence over American government, leading to disastrous consequences for the American people. McGarity shines a spotlight on those powerful interests and their willing accomplices in the Trump administration. It's an important story told thoroughly and well."
--Sheldon Whitehouse, U.S. senator for Rhode Island

"Tom McGarity has long been recognized as a foremost authority on administrative regulation. In Demolition Agenda, he thoroughly dissects Donald Trump's efforts to dismantle agency programs that Congress has created to protect the public. This excellent book offers a comprehensive and insightful analysis of the political forces and practical strategies that have undermined the rule of law in key policy areas."
--William F. West, professor of public service and administration, Texas A&M University

"Free market ideologues have worked for decades to dismantle the regulatory state, seeking to return us to the halcyon days when corporations could pollute, poison, and collude with impunity. Until the election of Donald Trump, however, they lacked the populist base they needed to move their extremist ideas into the mainstream. In this deeply researched and sometimes chilling study, Thomas McGarity lays bare the conservative playbook and details the clear and present danger posed by the 'demolition agenda.'"
--Jack Schneider, associate professor of education at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and co-author of A Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door

"Demolition Agenda by Tom McGarity made me so angry that I had to put the book down every few pages. But then I had to pick it up again and continue reading about Trump's campaign to destroy the institutions that make people from all over the world strive to become Americans. A heartbreaking, sobering read."
--Morris Pearl, chair of the Patriotic Millionaires and co-author of Tax the Rich!

About the Author

Thomas O. McGarity is the William Powers Jr. and Kim L. Heilbrun Chair in Tort Law at the University of Texas at Austin School of Law and the past president of the Center for Progressive Reform. He is the author of Pollution, Politics, and Power; Freedom to Harm; The Preemption War; and Demolition Agenda: The Dismantling of American Government . . . and How We Can Stop It (The New Press), among other books. He lives in Austin, Texas.