Introduction
America on the brink
The mainstream/political class divide
The divide: a data portrait
The great divide and the populist upsurge
Left populism: principles and resurgence
Hopes dashed: Obama and the left
Right-wing populism: principles and resurgence
George W. Bush and the right-wing implosion
Independent voters: angry, volatile, and growing
The power of money
The K Street effect: how lobbyists have saturated public policy
Redistricting, race, and the political class
Conclusion: reform or fail.