The Masses are the Ruling Classes

Policy Romanticism, Democratic Populism, and Social Welfare in America

William Epstein

This book is a prime candidate for the New Yorker, the New York Review of Books, the New York Times book reviews (also LA Times, London Times, Washington Post, Chicago Trib, etc), magazines such as the Nation, Harpers, the Atlantic, and so forth. *Author note: There is likely to be a positive reception and a large audience for the book in Europe, Asia and other nations (eg, New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, Chile) wary of both American culture and American political dominance.
Emphasizes popular consent for the current problems in the US including social and economic inequality.
This book illustrates its arguments with a variety of social welfare programs: three typical charities and two public programs (food stamps and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families).
Examines the derivation of popular social and political preferences from embedded social institutions rather than opinion polling.
Explains the persistent conservative dominance of American politics, the weakness of liberal social policy notably demonstrated in the 2014 Congressional elections, and the deep concessions of recent legislation notably in health (the Affordable Care Act).
Likely to generate considerable controversy as the central argument - we (not the liberal media and not a handful of billionaire kingmakers) are, in fact, responsible for the state of affairs in our country — puts blame on all bands of the political spectrum.

The Masses are the Ruling Classes

Policy Romanticism, Democratic Populism, and Social Welfare in America

William Epstein

Description

The Masses are the Ruling Classes proposes the radical, yet seemingly innocuous view that social policy in the United States is determined by mass consent. Contemporary explanations of decision making in the US typically attribute power over policy making to a variety of hidden forces and illegitimate elites holding the masses innocent of their own problems. Yet the enormous openness of the society and near-universal suffrage sustain democratic consent as more plausible than the alternatives — conspiracy, propaganda, usurpation, autonomous government, and imperfect pluralism. Contrary to prevailing explanations, government is not either autonomous or out of control, business and wealthy individuals have not usurped control of the nation, large segments of the population are not dispossessed of the vote or of a voice in public affairs, and the media has not formed a conspiracy with Hollywood and liberals to deny Americans their God-given freedoms. Despite the multitude of problems that the nation faces, its citizens are not oppressed. In this pithy yet provocative book, Epstein argues that Democracy in the United States is not progressive but is instead populist, and that the core of the populist ideology is romantic rather than pragmatic.

The Masses are the Ruling Classes

Policy Romanticism, Democratic Populism, and Social Welfare in America

William Epstein

Acknowledgements
Preface
Section I: Explaining Social Policy Making
Introduction: The Ruling Masses
Chapter 1: Precursors to Policy Romanticism
Chapter 2: Policy Romanticism
Chapter 3: — An American Archetype: The Quest for the Authentic Self — Psychology, Pop Psychology and Self-Help
Chapter 4: Spiritualism, Religion and Other Romantic Quests for the Authentic Self
Section II: Policy Romanticism and American Social Welfare
Chapter 5: Year Up
Chapter6: Communities in Schools
Chapter7: Generations of Hope Communities
Chapter 8: The Food Stamp Program
Chapter 9 - Food Stamps and Public Welfare
Conclusion
Social Adolescence

The Masses are the Ruling Classes

Policy Romanticism, Democratic Populism, and Social Welfare in America

William Epstein

Author Information

William Epstein, Professor, School of Social Work, UNLV

William Epstein, DSW, MSW, is Professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Social Work. Dr. Epstein has authored nine books and scores of articles, reviews, and research monographs. He has over 30 years of university teaching and 15 years of experience in community organization and development, public administration, and policy research.

The Masses are the Ruling Classes

Policy Romanticism, Democratic Populism, and Social Welfare in America

William Epstein

Reviews and Awards

"In Epstein's hands, populism refers more to pervasive cultural sensibilities, shared by the mass of the American public, than to the personalities, policies or political strategies of individual political figures. And his contention is that politicians must adhere to these populist cultural sensibilities if they are to succeed electorally." - The European Legacy

""While this book contains no reference to Trump, the cultural logic it unfolds in the context of current events provides such a convincing explanation of his rise that it is difficult to avoid reading it in that way. Epstein's conclusions are troubling news for believers in the virtues of the public sphere and likely a bitter pill for many of Trump's American detractors to swallow."" - Andrew Simon Gilbert, The European Legacy

"Epstein has succeeded in revealing the sometimes unhealthy symbiosis between the psychology professions and the democratic societies that nurture them. For this reason alone, his book deserves a wide readership. If you are an applied psychologist, it may even change the way you practice." - Paul Moloney, Counselling Psychologist at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, The Psychologist