Comeback

The future of American democracy depends on Democrats winning the White House in the upcoming election. But with millions of Americans fervently embracing authoritarianism, that's not going to happen unless Democrats can learn to play hardball and fight back.

In Comeback: Routing Trumpism, Reclaiming the Nation, and Restoring Democracy's Edge, Berkeley political scientist M. Steven Fish and co-author Laila M. Aghaie show that the Democratic Party's electoral struggles aren't due to poor policy or a weak economy but rather the ineffective, low-dominance political style of its leaders.

The Republican Party has rallied followers with brash leadership and a high-dominance political style. Trumpified Republicans take risks, double down on unpopular policies, use entertaining language, and welcome "us-versus-them" conflict.

Democrats, by contrast, have become specialists in a low-dominance political style. They're pathologically risk-averse and poll-driven, allergic to engaging on hot-button issues-and frankly, boring. Democrats fail to spotlight their accomplishments, accept blame for problems caused by the other side, and shy away from claiming their right to lead the real America-the diverse, dynamic nation that generations of proud liberals built.

Fish and Aghaie show how and why these trends have happened in order to help Democrats pivot to winning the politics of dominance and claiming the nation. They show:

• That Trump's popularity isn't a result of despair among working-class Americans-and that most American families are actually thriving, thanks mainly to Democratic policies
• Why laundry lists of worthy policies bore voters-while the bold embrace of national greatness excites them
• What liberals can learn from successful champions of democracy, ranging from Bill Clinton and Barack Obama to Martin Luther King, Frederick Douglass, and Winston Churchill
• 11 high-dominance practices that Joe Biden can ride to victory in 2024-if he adopts them now

Comeback has the potential to transform today's gloomy prospects for Democrats into an opportunity for renewal and reinvigoration to fight for the ideals America should stand for.