Revolution & Revenge from the 1950s to Now: A Conversation with Paul Starr

This event is co-sponsored by the Goldman School of Public Policy, the Institute of Governmental Studies, the Berkeley Economy & Society Initiative, and the Berkeley Social Science Matrix.

How did Americans come to elect Barack Obama—and then Donald Trump? In his new book, American Contradiction, acclaimed Princeton sociologist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Paul Starr offers a sweeping account of how we arrived at this moment, tracing U.S. history from the 1950s to the present. Drawing on the intertwined stories of progressive movements and the powerful reactions they provoked, Starr explores how struggles over race, gender, rights, and economic inequality have reshaped—and polarized—the nation.

Join Starr and GSPP Associate Professor Jake Grumbach for an illuminating discussion of the deep tensions between a rapidly changing people and the institutions that resist that change, and what this means for the future of American democracy.

This event is part of the Goldman School of Public Policy’s Democracy Book Club series, which features authors whose work enriches our understanding of democracy by examining the institutions, policies, and civic traditions that shape democratic life.

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For disability-related accommodations, please contact the access coordinator in advance of the event: Elisabeth Mart, elismart@berkeley.edu