On the 50th anniversary of Charlotte Twight’s influential America’s Emerging Fascist Economy, our Winter 2025/26 issue features a special symposium examining the book’s lasting relevance. Twight famously argued that the United States has moved toward a fascist economic system not through revolution, but through the steady expansion of the state—where private enterprise becomes less a source of prosperity and more an instrument of political control, justified in the name of the “national interest.”
Sound familiar?
As today’s economy strains under misguided protectionist policies, contributors to The Independent Review revisit Twight’s arguments with fresh eyes—and renewed concern. But this is no defeatist swan song. Alongside sharp critiques of state expansion, contributors offer practical recommendations for reform. Some even challenge Twight’s thesis outright, pointing to measures of economic freedom that suggest a more hopeful trajectory for the United States.
Whether you are a longtime admirer of Twight, a skeptical critic, or encountering her work for the first time, this issue offers insight, debate, and clarity!
Subscribe to The Independent Review today to start your subscription with this issue, or buy this or other back issues in print or ebook format.
BONUS: Get a free Independent book with your subscription! (New subscribers only)
