Necessary Trouble: Americans in Revolt

A central premise of journalist Jaffe's (fellow, Nation Inst.) book is that Americans in the last decade have become more radical, on both the right and the left. Rising inequality and the consolidation of economic and political power into the hands of a few have made people contradictorily feel both more hopeless and more willing to challenge powerful institutions. It therefore seems fitting that this book arrives in the midst of continuing Black Lives Matter protests and Donald Trump's nomination for president with one of the most conservative Republican Party platforms in recent history. Jaffe brings together fascinating stories and well-reported recent history to explain how and why ordinary people became involved in Occupy Wall Street, the Tea Party, Black Lives Matter, antiimmigration protests, and labor fights against Walmart and for a $15 per hour minimum wage. She argues that these movements started out in opposition but are now building new coalitions and more horizontal institutions.