Books to help contextualize the news you likely haven’t missed.

[link removed]

Every Saturday, I send members a weekend reading list with the stories that I think could have the biggest impact on voters. These are stories that are often overlooked and have headlines that don’t make it to the front page. If you enjoy this newsletter, consider upgrading today ([link removed]) . Now, let’s dive in.

Donald Trump is not Hitler. He is not Stalin. His vision of America is neither pre-war Germany nor the post-war Soviet Union. The United States is not at risk of falling into totalitarianism.

The United States has its own history and culture. It has a unique way of manifesting its politics. That does not mean, however, that we cannot learn from other places and other times. As Mark Twain, the most American of American writers, wrote: “History doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes.”

So, let’s start with what we know. Trump is a deeply unserious man. In a different era, he would have been a carnival barker. If not born to privilege and wealth he would be running a low level scheme or selling supplements on a sketchy website. Instead, he is the president-elect who, in addition to hawking schlocky items on the internet, will soon command the highest, most powerful office on earth.

We know that he admires modern day dictators and strongmen. He seeks their favor and rejoices in their flattery.

He rejects liberalism — things like the rule of law, impartial government and fundamental rights. He has contempt for democratic norms and institutions. Elections are only fair when he wins and rigged when he loses.

For Trump, the presidency exists to exact the spoils of electoral victory rather than a public trust.

Like many of you, I have spent the last few days trying to make sense of things — asking how this happened and what comes next. As for the second question, I have been doing a lot of reading.

It is something that preoccupied the Founders, who were afraid of the reemergence of a king. Decades after the founding, John Adams was still concerned. In 1814 he wrote to a colleague that “democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.”

As part of my processing, I went back and reread several of Hannah Arendt’s works. She is best known for her account of the trial of Adolf Eichmann in which she coined the phrase “banality of evil.” In her telling, the Nazi SS leader was a mediocre joiner. In her words a “clown.”

But, in my opinion, her most important book was The Origins of Totalitarianism, in which she attempts to explain the mechanics of how totalitarian movements come to power. One observation of hers strikes me as most relevant today.

“Totalitarianism in power invariably replaces all first-rate talents, regardless of their sympathies, with those crackpots and fools whose lack of intelligence and creativity is still the best guarantee of their loyalty.”

It is hard to make sense of Trump’s recent cabinet nominations without coming back to this central truth: He is nominating “crackpots and fools” because that is what Trumpism requires. It is required both by Trump himself but also by his followers.

As a narcissist, Trump surrounds himself with people who, like him, reject science, expertise and the idea of objective facts. As a leader, he must continue to promote ever more extremist conspiracy theories to explain why his last conspiracy theory failed to come true.

Normally, my weekly reading list is the news of the week that I think is important but that you likely missed. But this week, I want to recommend several books to help contextualize the news you likely haven’t missed.

Become a premium member to access my reading list

For $120/year, upgrade to our premium membership ([link removed]) and support Democracy Docket’s work in keeping you informed on the latest news about voting and elections in the courts.

Our premium membership includes:
* Exclusive newsletters from me, including weekend reading lists, weekly tip sheets with cases to watch, litigation previews and more
* Invites to members-only live events and Q&As with me and other experts
* Support for a pro-democracy news outlet and our 16-person team

UPGRADE FOR THE REST OF THE READING LIST ([link removed])
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]

We also understand that not everyone is able to make this commitment, which is why our free daily and weekly newsletters aren’t going anywhere! If you prefer not to receive samples of our premium content and only want our free daily and weekly newsletters, you can opt out here ([link removed]) .

For questions about your subscription or general support, visit our FAQ page here ([link removed]) . Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences ([link removed]) or unsubscribe here ([link removed]) .