The SQUEEZE: Kevin Phillips, a harsh critic of the Republican Party, suggests in American Theocracy: The Peril and Politics of Radical Religion, Oil, and Borrowed Money in the 21^st Century the importance of becoming familiar with ideological extremism that influences and promotes fiscal irresponsibility, rampant greed, and deliberate shortsightedness. In the book, Phillips centers the discussion on these three unifying themes that he believes are the cement holding the party together. America’s tie to oil has significance within both the national and global landscapes. In addition, America’s influence upon and promotion of social conservatism, Evangelicalism, and Pentecostalism has contributed to the moral decline of the nation. Lastly, Phillips points to the American debt culture that affects the current national economy. These three issues, Phillips suggests, have their base inherently in past world powers, namely the Roman Empire and the British Empire, which both, he believes, declined and fell into disarray.

Notable Endorsement: “A harrowing picture of national danger that no American reader will welcome, but that none should ignore.--The New York Times Book Review

Common Q’s Answered by this Book:

• What implications does the fall of the Roman Empire have upon the current American economy?
• What is the link between radical religion, oil, and debt that contributed to fiscal irresponsibility?
• What effect does social conservatism have upon the national economy?

About the Author: Kevin Price Phillips is an American writer and commentator. Phillips’s research interests include politics, economics, and history. Phillips is a former Republican Party strategist, later becoming an Independent and scathing critic. Phillips regularly contributes to the Los Angeles Times, Harper’s Magazine, and National Public Radio. Philips was also a political analyst for PBS’s Now with Bill Moyers. Recent titles of his works include: William McKinley (2003); Arrogant Capital: Washington, Wall Street and the Frustration of American Politics (1994); and Boiling Point: Democrats, Republicans, and the Decline of Middle Class Prosperity (1993). Phillips completed a bachelor’s degree at Colgate University (1961); a master’s degree from the University of Edinburgh; and a law degree from Harvard University (1964).

Book Vitals:

Publisher: Penguin Books (March 2007)