“Politics is different now because something awful has been unleashed. William A. Galston defines this awful thing in his fantastic new book, Anger, Fear, Domination.”—David Brooks, New York Times

“The better speech that Galston advocates for, which can challenge the darkness within us, is desperately needed. But Galston would agree that it needs allies in summoning the higher aspirations that have not vanished from our souls but that have been submerged and deadened in recent times.”—Peter Wehner, The Atlantic

A Project Syndicate Book of the Year 2025

“William A. Galston’s Anger, Fear, Domination is a masterpiece, full stop.”—Jonathan Rauch, The UnPopulist

“[Galston] has been a constant source of creative decency in American politics. His Anger, Fear, Domination is the capstone of a humble and brilliant career. It is a crucial book for this moment and for the future of liberal democracy.”—Joe Klein, Sanity Clause, Substack

“Anger, Fear, Domination reminds us of a fundamental truth: to defend liberal democracy, we must grapple with the dark impulses that have shaped politics over the past decade.”—Michael R. Strain, Project Syndicate

“A timely, thoughtful consideration of liberal democracy and its legion of enemies.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Of the many crisis books published over the last decade assessing the malignant political and moral climate degrading liberal democracy, there is nothing like this one. Galston has a rare, capacious mind. This book is a defense of liberal democracy written in a different voice that goes far in explaining us to ourselves.”—Nancy L. Rosenblum, Senator Joseph Clark Professor of Ethics in Government and Politics Emerita, Harvard University, and coauthor of Ungoverning: The Attack on the Administrative State and the Politics of Chaos

“Our dark political times require us to understand what Galson calls ‘dark political passions’: anger, resentment, humiliation, fear, and the urge to dominate. Recalling the insights of classical political thought, this short but profound book explains how these passions can be exploited by demagogues or tamed by liberal statesmen.”—R. Shep Melnick, Tip O’Neill Professor of American Politics, Boston College