John Ganz On the Decade that Changed the Republican Party

KQED's Forum

According to political writer John Ganz, a sense of “national despair” emerged in the U.S. during the early 1990s due to an economic recession that shrank America’s middle class and a growing cynicism about politics. This despair was exploited by various figures – some well known and some fringe – who would later gain influence within the Republican Party. He connects the current rise of right-wing populism, exemplified by figures like Trump, back to this pivotal period in American history. We talk to Ganz about the rise in right wing populism, both in the US and abroad, and its influence on electoral politics.

Guests:

John Ganz, author, "When the Clock Broke: Con Men, Conspiracists, and How America Cracked Up in the Early 1990s"