Overview

The Fall of Wisconsin is a deeply reported, searing account of how the state’s progressive tradition was undone and Wisconsin itself turned into a laboratory for national conservatives bent on remaking the country. Neither sentimental nor despairing, the book tells the story of the systematic dismantling of laws protecting the environment, labor unions, voting rights, and public education through the remarkable battles of ordinary citizens fighting to reclaim Wisconsin’s progressive legacy.

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9780393357257

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Through the microcosm of one state Dan Kaufman does a masterful job explaining what's happened to America, and why. It's not a happy tale, but it's an important one.--Jane Mayer, best-selling author of Dark Money Kaufman burrows badgerlike into the politics of America's Dairyland, unearthing the personal histories of its people: an ironworker turned activist, a conservation biologist, a Native American tribal elder. In doing so, he reveals Wisconsin's transformation from a 'pioneering beacon' of progressive policies, responsible for the nation's first worker's-comp and unemployment-insurance programs, to 'a laboratory for corporate interests.'--Michelle Hart What was the matter with Kansas is now the matter with Wisconsin. Once one of the most liberal states in the union, on election night 2016 Wisconsin was the state that put Trump over the top. How did such a big change happen, and what should we do about it? For starters, read this book--and let these agonizingly true stories sink in.--Thomas Frank, best-selling author of What's the Matter with Kansas? Dan Kaufman, a native son, will take you deeper into this story than I would have thought possible. Tirelessly reported, full of heroes and their tormentors, it's a devastating portrait of a beautiful, besieged state reeling into the Trump era.--William Finnegan, best-selling author of Barbarian Days The Fall of Wisconsin shows that the most important story in American politics was hiding in plain sight--how the progressive bastion of the upper Midwest turned into Alabama-with-snow. With elegant ferocity, Dan Kaufman tells a story that is rooted in the soul of Wisconsin but relevant to the whole country as well.--Jeffrey Toobin, best-selling author of American Heiress

The Fall of Wisconsin shows that the most important story in American politics was hiding in plain sight-how the progressive bastion of the upper Midwest turned into Alabama-with-snow. With elegant ferocity, Dan Kaufman tells a story that is rooted in the soul of Wisconsin but relevant to the whole country as well. -- Jeffrey Toobin, best-selling author of American Heiress Dan Kaufman, a native son, will take you deeper into this story than I would have thought possible. Tirelessly reported, full of heroes and their tormentors, it's a devastating portrait of a beautiful, besieged state reeling into the Trump era. -- William Finnegan, best-selling author of Barbarian Days Dan Kaufman chronicles how his home state-the birthplace of progressivism, Aldo Leopold's land ethic, and Earth Day-was transformed into a showcase for right-wing ideology. The Fall of Wisconsin is illuminating, unsettling, and profoundly relevant. -- Elizabeth Kolbert, best-selling author of The Sixth Extinction What was the matter with Kansas is now the matter with Wisconsin. Once one of the most liberal states in the union, on election night 2016 Wisconsin was the state that put Trump over the top. How did such a big change happen, and what should we do about it? For starters, read this book-and let these agonizingly true stories sink in. -- Thomas Frank, best-selling author of What's the Matter with Kansas? Kaufman burrows badgerlike into the politics of America's Dairyland, unearthing the personal histories of its people: an ironworker turned activist, a conservation biologist, a Native American tribal elder. In doing so, he reveals Wisconsin's transformation from a 'pioneering beacon' of progressive policies, responsible for the nation's first worker's-comp and unemployment-insurance programs, to `a laboratory for corporate interests.' -- Michelle Hart - O, the Oprah Magazine In The Fall of Wisconsin, Dan Kaufman shows how the state became a conservative test case...Clean air, clean water, good schools: The public infrastructure that was considered common sense for Wisconsinites has been attacked by the right as if it were a red menace...Kaufman believes that Wisconsin's extreme makeover portends something scary for the rest of us. -- Jennifer Szalai - The New York Times Kaufman argues that what's been happening in Wisconsin has historical significance because it made the state a model for conservative activists...[The Fall of Wisconsin] belongs with well-known recent studies such as J.D. Vance's Hillbilly Elegy and Arlie Russell Hochschild's Strangers in Their Own Land. -- Ron Elving - NPR Full of sharply reported details...[The Fall of Wisconsin] laments the state's recent trajectory and chronicles `the conservative war' on its political legacy. -- Chris O'Donnell - New York Times Book Review Through the microcosm of one state Dan Kaufman does a masterful job explaining what's happened to America, and why. It's not a happy tale, but it's an important one. -- Jane Mayer, best-selling author of Dark Money

Author Information

Dan Kaufman has written for The New York Times Magazine and The New Yorker. Originally from Wisconsin, he now lives in Brooklyn with his wife and son.

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