American Panic
On some level, nearly every American falls victim to political panic, and the hype, intensity and propaganda that come with it. Such panics have been occurring among Americans since the 1692 Salem witch hunt, and they have continued in a number of forms, and with various targets. Mark Stein, author of the wildly popular How the States Got Their Shapes, traces this fascinating, frightening, and recurring by-product of the American psyche in his new book, American Panic: A History of Who Scares Us and Why. By tracing the history, consequences, and recurring patterns that exist in American political panics, Stein sheds new light on what it is that causes Americans to succumb to these fears generation after generation.
With chapters devoted to each of the most significant panics throughout history, American Panic highlights the similarities between upsets in the past, and present day vehemence over issues such as Latino immigration and gay marriage. Stein reveals striking similarities across these diverse events, and in analyzing these common themes, he gets to the heart of what drives American political panic, as well as why certain people succumb to it while others show more restraint.
Mark Stein
Mark Stein is the author of How the States Got Their Shapes, a New York Times bestseller that became the basis of the History Channel series of the same name, in which he frequently appears. He is also the author of How the States Got Their Shapes Too: The People Behind the Borderlines. He lives in Washington, DC, where he has taught at the Catholic University of America and American University.