The Far Right Today - by Cas Mudde (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The far right is back with a vengeance. After several decades at the political margins, far-right politics has again taken center stage. Three of the world's largest democracies - Brazil, India, and the United States - now have a radical right leader, while far-right parties continue to increase their profile and support within Europe.

In this timely book, leading global expert on political extremism Cas Mudde provides a concise overview of the fourth wave of postwar far-right politics, exploring its history, ideology, organization, causes, and consequences, as well as the responses available to civil society, party, and state actors to challenge its ideas and influence. What defines this current far-right renaissance, Mudde argues, is its mainstreaming and normalization within the contemporary political landscape. Challenging orthodox thinking on the relationship between conventional and far-right politics, Mudde offers a complex and insightful picture of one of the key political challenges of our time.

Review Quotes

"Powerful, timely, important. A much needed analysis."
Elif Shafak

"The far-right is mutating and Cas Mudde offers the best guide to understanding its growth and impact."
Ryan Heath, POLITICO

"Cas Mudde is one of the most clear-eyed, trenchant analysts of politics in the West. His latest work is packed with insight and offers a vital guide into the array of nativist and extremist factions shaping the global zeitgeist."
Ishaan Tharoor, The Washington Post

"The Far Right Today is a must-read for everyone who is not numb to the authoritarian forces challenging our values and dismantling liberal democracies. Cas Mudde provides unique insights to the underlying reasons for the rise and normalisation of the far right and brilliantly places the phenomena in historical context."
Tanja Fajon, MEP and Vice-President of the S & D Group

"While many Americans are driven mad by the nightly news, Cas Mudde provides an anti-dote - the global and historical context for the rise of the right in his insightful and accessible book. The radical right has become mainstreamed, Mudde argues, posing a historic challenge with no easy solutions. This book is essential to anyone organizing working people or engaged in politics."
Karen Nussbaum, Working America, AFL-CIO

"A powerful wake-up call."
Morning Star

"Timely"
Communication Director

"A must read"
Gothenburg Post

'one of the best books I have read this year'
Democracy Paradox

'a beautiful, concise and very accessible book ... that provides excellent insight into why the radical right has become so influential'
Clingendael Spectator

"an indispensable guide to extreme right-wing parties, written with admirable precision."
Edward Luce, Financial Times

'a very readable introduction'
Inside Story

"Packed with vital, necessary information on the far right today and the different types of organisations to be found in their camp."
Socialism Today

'The Far Right Today is a clear book, full of definitions and facts about the radical right from Brazil to India... a valuable reference work.'
NRC Handelsblad​

'The Far Right Today is an (semi-) academic equivalent of a page-turner...A must read'
e-Extreme

"A thorough account of how the far right has been transformed over recent years based on decades of research."
Patterns of Prejudice

About the Author

Cas Mudde is the Stanley Wade Shelton UGAF Professor of International Affairs at the University of Georgia and Professor II at the Center for Research on Extremism (C-REX) at the University of Oslo.