Tripwires: 15 Twenty-First-Century Events That Undermined American Democracy--And How to Reclaim It by Patterson, Richard North
Tripwires: 15 Twenty-First-Century Events That Undermined American Democracy--And How to Reclaim It by Patterson, Richard North

Tripwires: 15 Twenty-First-Century Events That Undermined American Democracy--And How to Reclaim It

In a trenchant work of nonfiction, the #1 New York Times bestselling author identifies a series of...
$35.98 USD
$35.98 USD
Please hurry! Only 2205 left in stock
Author: Richard North Patterson
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Subtotal: $35.98
Tripwires: 15 Twenty-First-Century Events That Undermined American Democracy--And How to Reclaim It by Patterson, Richard North

Tripwires: 15 Twenty-First-Century Events That Undermined American Democracy--And How to Reclaim It

$35.98
Tripwires: 15 Twenty-First-Century Events That Undermined American Democracy--And How to Reclaim It by Patterson, Richard North

Tripwires: 15 Twenty-First-Century Events That Undermined American Democracy--And How to Reclaim It

$35.98
Author: Richard North Patterson
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Description

In a trenchant work of nonfiction, the #1 New York Times bestselling author identifies a series of self-inflicted wounds on our body politic that have led to the current moment, and shows us how we can undo the harm

"A modern-day Tocqueville, Richard North Patterson marshals an immense amount of research to show, incisively and readably, why we are now in danger of losing our democracy--and how we can recover from our current malaise." --Max Boot, author of Reagan: His Life and Legend

In a trenchant work of nonfiction, the New York Times bestselling author identifies a series of self-inflicted wounds and destabilizing societal trends that have led America to the precipice of autocracy, and lays out a program or reversing the harm. From politicized Supreme Court decisions to wrong-headed policy initiatives and toxic political maneuvers, Richard North Patterson--whose novel on presidential politics, Protect and Defend, was a #1 New York Times bestseller--combines fifteen fateful moments in the past quarter-century with an immersive narrative of the underlying economic, cultural, and political developments that made these tripwires so profoundly consequential.

Starting with the Supreme Court intervention that awarded George W. Bush the presidency, Patterson examines the often under-appreciated turning points that helped undermine our polity, from the accidental accession of John Roberts as Chief Justice and the ruin wreaked by America's subprime mortgages, to Donald Trump's demand to see Barack Obama's birth certificate, Marco Rubio's sabotage of his own immigration reform bill, and Mitch McConnell's refusal to convict Trump for his attempted coup--culimating in the ultimate betrayal of our constitutional democracy: the Roberts Court's invitation to unbounded presidential power.


Patterson's near-encyclopedic knowledge of recent U.S. history along with his political acumen and training as a trial lawyer allow him to distill cause and effect in a deeply synthetic way, building to a comprehensive account of the perverse compound of ignorance, corruption, racism, religiosity, plutocracy, and authoritarianism wrought by Trump's return to power. He concludes with a detailed program for establishing a truly equitable and democratic society, offering hope for America's future.



Author: Richard North Patterson
Publisher: New Press
Published: 09/01/2026
Pages: 256
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.20lbs
Size: 9.00h x 5.80w x 1.20d
ISBN: 9798893850901


Review Citation(s):
Booklist 08/01/2026

About the Author

Richard North Patterson is the author of twenty-three novels, sixteen of which have been New York Times bestsellers, as well as a nonfiction narrative of the 2016 presidential campaign. A former trial attorney, he is a political commentator whose regular columns and articles have been published in The New York Times, The London Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, USA Today, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The Bulwark, and elsewhere. The author lives between Jacksonville, Florida, and Martha's Vineyard.


Shipping & Return

Returns Policy

You may return most new, unopened items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. We'll also pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.).

You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).

If you need to return an item, simply login to your account, view the order using the "Complete Orders" link under the My Account menu and click the Return Item(s) button. We'll notify you via e-mail of your refund once we've received and processed the returned item.

Shipping

We can ship to virtually any address in the world. Note that there are restrictions on some products, and some products cannot be shipped to international destinations.

When you place an order, we will estimate shipping and delivery dates for you based on the availability of your items and the shipping options you choose. Depending on the shipping provider you choose, shipping date estimates may appear on the shipping quotes page.

Please also note that the shipping rates for many items we sell are weight-based. The weight of any such item can be found on its detail page. To reflect the policies of the shipping companies we use, all weights will be rounded up to the next full pound.

Review