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How did the turn from American exceptionalism to decline happen?

In his new book, aptly titled The Turn, Dennis Joiner takes American political history to the table to dissect it meticulously.

It takes a clear look at everything that’s happened in the US from 1950 right up to 2024. This isn’t just a history lesson. It’s a crash course for a new perspective on why the United States of America has moved from being seen as truly special—American exceptionalism—to facing a noticeable decline.

This book helps you understand the big shifts and challenges shaping our country’s politics right now.

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AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM AND DECLINE

The main idea of The Turn is that the US has indeed gone from American exceptionalism to decline. He shows this by diving into 75 years of cultural changes and political fights. This makes The Turn an incredibly detailed and helpful lens for understanding why so many Americans today feel like the national narrative has been on the decline.

The book lays out clearly how things like the post-war boom, various social movements, and the Reagan years, even though they seem far apart, all tie into the widespread political disillusionment we see now, and why America’s fading global leadership is such a hot topic.

The decline of American exceptionalism isn’t just a controversial claim. It’s a real shift that The Turn helps you grasp.

HOW IDEAS SHIFTED US POLITICS AND SPARKED DECLINE

The Turn examines current politics and breaks down the ideological shifts in US politics. Joiner doesn’t hold back, showing how greedy politics, the impact of corrupt media, and even illiberal religions and woke culture have played a role.

These, he claims, are the root causes of the strong disagreements and political gridlock being faced daily by millions of Americans.

By tracing how these different ways of thinking have battled it out, The Turn presents a clear picture of why our political conversations feel so stuck. It helps you see how the old idea of American exceptionalism gave way to today’s deep divides, leading to shifting views in US political identity.

UNDERSTANDING POLITICAL DISILLUSIONMENT

The Turn takes a refreshing perspective in answering the question of why so many Americans feel political disillusionment.

Joiner talks about a widespread miasma of discontent–a cloudy feeling of unhappiness–affecting everyday people. The people of today are stuck between wanting things to be normal and facing tough realities like growing social tensions, money worries from global competition, and the heavy cost of endless wars. This feeling directly affects how people vote, how much they trust our government, and how they get involved in our democracy in post-exceptionalism America.

The Turn clearly shows that the move from American exceptionalism to decline isn’t just an unfounded idea. It’s something that people are living through and enduring, shaping their beliefs and actions, and causing a real crisis of belief in national greatness.

WHY AMERICA IS NO LONGER RESPECTED

The fading global leadership is another big topic that The Turn shines a light on. Joiner looks at different conflicts, from the Gulf Wars to more recent global issues, plus big money troubles like financial crashes. He shows how America’s top spot in the world, once unquestioned, has been challenged and slowly chipped away. This change hugely impacts foreign policy, trade deals, and who America partners with globally, and who wants to partner with America.

That’s why The Turn is so important for understanding where America stands in the world and the choices it’s making. The very idea of American exceptionalism is being re-evaluated in The Turn because of this changing global power, highlighting the fall of American global influence, American political power, and its erosion.

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An Essential Read for Post-Exceptionalism America

Bottom line: The Turn isn’t just a history book. It’s a critical guide to understanding the present moment in American politics. It gives you the tools to see how the core idea of American exceptionalism has shifted into a period of decline. By connecting the dots between past events, the ideological shifts in US politics, economic pressures, and cultural changes, Joiner gives you an unmatched resource for breaking down the national decline narrative and the widespread political disillusionment.

Ready to boost your political smarts? Grab Dennis Joiner’s The Turn today and dig into the forces shaping America’s future!