United States of Oligarchy
ISBN
Publisher
Imprint
Year Published
Print Length
Format
SKU
9781250430113
St. Martin's Press
N/A
2026
384 pages
Paperback
26721
Original price was: ₨7,000.00.₨1,650.00Current price is: ₨1,650.00.
A staggering examination of how America’s wealthiest infiltrated the government and allied with dictators, transforming the U.S. from democracy to oligarchy.
Description
For years, a small group of billionaires has amassed increasing power, steering American politics for their own benefit. Many of these figures are familiar. There’s Elon Musk, who has used his wealth to help place Donald Trump back in the White House. There’s Mark Zuckerberg, who has used his resources to transform America into his own digital playground. There’s Jared Kushner, who has used family connections to gain more political power than he ever dreamed of.
There is only one word to describe such extreme levels of wealth, avarice, and political control: Oligarchy. But the oligarchs are not working alone. From China to Russia to Saudi Arabia and beyond, many of these men have cultivated alliances with America’s most notorious adversaries, opening the doors for autocrats around the world to sink their teeth into the U.S. Placing profit over patriotism, they have transformed into vectors of influence for some of the world’s most repulsive dictatorships, all of whom are trying to create a world dominated by imperialism and tyranny. Connecting everything from the devastation in Ukraine to destruction in Gaza to destabilization in Greenland, these oligarchs have transformed American policy and American politics into their own private fiefdoms, regardless of what Americans actually want.
In United States of Oligarchy, Casey Michel illuminates a story decades in the making, from the earliest efforts to corral and combat American oligarchs, to the new crop of individuals monopolizing American democracy and making the world safe for dictatorship – all for their own benefit.
The oligarchs have risen, and are attempting to reign. The only question remaining is whether or not it’s too late to stop them.
Praise and Reviews
"This eye-opening account from journalist Michel examines the undue influence of domestic and foreign oligarchs in American politics... Readers will be outraged by the egregiousness of it all." ―Publishers Weekly, starred------------------------------------------
"A damning account of an unaccountable caste." ―Kirkus Reviews------------------------------------------
"In [United States of Oligarchy], which delves into the illicit world of dark money, Michel examines the barely hidden control of oligarchs in the United States... An excellent current events book for readers seeking to understand the threat foreign lobbyists pose to U.S. democracy." ―Library Journal------------------------------------------
"In searing detail and packed with revelatory (and relevant) history, United States of Oligarchy tackles the biggest political issue of our time―the poisonous concentration of wealth strangling American democracy. This is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand our present―or attempt to fix our future." ―Garrett M. Graff, New York Times bestselling author of The Devil Reached Toward the Sky------------------------------------------
"This sharply written book offers a devastating critique of America’s contemporary descent into oligarchy. Casey Michel explains the facilitating circumstances through a series of fascinating historical vignettes and an incisive analysis of the key legal cases. If you want to understand how a handful of mega rich men came to dominate American politics this is the book to read." ―Fiona Hill, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution------------------------------------------
"One of the best-written books on the threat to democracy that I've read. Michel isn't clickbaity-alarmist. Read this book, then give it to your crazy uncle who thinks everything is a conspiracy theory (but make sure he knows there's an index of citations)." ―Kal Penn, national bestselling author of You Can't Be Serious------------------------------------------
"Casey Michel has written the definitive account of America’s slide from democracy toward oligarchy. In this gripping and meticulously reported book, Michel connects the dots between Silicon Valley boardrooms, Gulf monarchies, Kremlin playbooks, and Washington politics. United States of Oligarchy shows how American billionaires have become global political actors, and how their alliances with authoritarian regimes threaten the foundations of U.S. democracy. This book is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand power and corruption in the Trump era." ―Tommy Vietor, co-host of Pod Save America------------------------------------------
"After years of studying how foreign oligarchs have manipulated American democracy for profit and power, Casey Michel turns a cold eye on America's new oligarchs...Carefully researched and brilliantly scathing, a searing indictment of the monstrous selfishness and nihilism of this sector of America's ruling class."
―Katherine Stewart, New York Times bestselling author of Money, Lies, and God------------------------------------------
"Oligarchy vs. democracy will be the defining battle of the 21st century. This book is indispensable for anyone who wants to grasp what is at stake with that battle. Engrossing, vivid, and lucid, it is a must read for anyone interested in the future of democracy in the United States and globally." ―Gabriel Zucman, coauthor of The Triumph of Injustice------------------------------------------
"Americans are battered daily by news that corporate profits and billionaire fortunes are up, corruption is breaking our government down, and families in the working and middle classes have little hope of getting ahead. Michel argues with great force that it all stems from the same fundamental struggle―a fight that pits the defenders of American democracy against the strangling power of corporate interests and the ultra-wealthy. It’s an urgent read based on real hope for a restoration of opportunity and democracy in America.” ―Sen. Ron Wyden------------------------------------------
"United States of Oligarchy is a must-read book to understand the role of global and domestic oligarchs in moving the U.S. toward authoritarianism. Scholarly, historically-grounded, and eminently readable, Michel chronicles the steady erosion of democratic norms and illuminates the playbook of globally-connected oligarchs as they undermine democratic self-governing republics." ―Chuck Collins, Institute for Policy Studies, author of Burned by Billionaires: How Concentrated Wealth and Power are Ruining Our Lives and Planet.------------------------------------------
"With United States of Oligarchy, Michel does a genuine public service: unpicking and meticulously documenting every thread in the tangled web of oligarchic schemes that have led the US to its current status as a hot mess. He musters an impressive array of evidence to make the case that America’s richest men have repaid the country that made them prosperous by turning traitor. Not only have they betrayed the ancient social contract of noblesse oblige, but they have actively aligned themselves with the worst enemies of the US―people hell-bent on toppling democracy worldwide. Because many of the schemes and alliances are as absurd as they are sinister, it is difficult to write about them without sounding like a conspiracy theorist. This is where Michel’s rigorous, footnote-rich text really pays off: it keeps the book, along with its readers, grounded in the tangible reality of this horror show, and points to some ways out of it." ―Brooke Harrington, author of Offshoring
About the Author
CASEY MICHEL is an author, journalist, and director of the Combating Kleptocracy Program with the Human Rights Foundation. He is the author of American Kleptocracy, named by The Economist as one of the "best books to read to understand financial crime," and Foreign Agents, which received starred reviews from both Kirkus and Publishers Weekly and was described by Foreign Policy Magazine as one of the "biggest foreign-policy book releases of 2024."
His writing on offshoring, foreign lobbying, authoritarianism, and illicit wealth has appeared in The New York Times, Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, Foreign Affairs, and The Washington Post, among other outlets, and he has appeared on NPR, BBC, CNN, and MSNBC, among other stations. He has also testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on the links between illicit financial networks and national security. He received his Master’s degree in Russian, Eurasian, and East European Studies from Columbia University’s Harriman Institute, and he is currently sanctioned by the Russian regime for his work. United States of Oligarchy is his third book.
United States of Oligarchy
By : Casey Michel
A staggering examination of how America’s wealthiest infiltrated the government and allied with dictators, transforming the U.S. from democracy to oligarchy.
Description
For years, a small group of billionaires has amassed increasing power, steering American politics for their own benefit. Many of these figures are familiar. There’s Elon Musk, who has used his wealth to help place Donald Trump back in the White House. There’s Mark Zuckerberg, who has used his resources to transform America into his own digital playground. There’s Jared Kushner, who has used family connections to gain more political power than he ever dreamed of.
There is only one word to describe such extreme levels of wealth, avarice, and political control: Oligarchy. But the oligarchs are not working alone. From China to Russia to Saudi Arabia and beyond, many of these men have cultivated alliances with America’s most notorious adversaries, opening the doors for autocrats around the world to sink their teeth into the U.S. Placing profit over patriotism, they have transformed into vectors of influence for some of the world’s most repulsive dictatorships, all of whom are trying to create a world dominated by imperialism and tyranny. Connecting everything from the devastation in Ukraine to destruction in Gaza to destabilization in Greenland, these oligarchs have transformed American policy and American politics into their own private fiefdoms, regardless of what Americans actually want.
In United States of Oligarchy, Casey Michel illuminates a story decades in the making, from the earliest efforts to corral and combat American oligarchs, to the new crop of individuals monopolizing American democracy and making the world safe for dictatorship – all for their own benefit.
The oligarchs have risen, and are attempting to reign. The only question remaining is whether or not it’s too late to stop them.
Praise and Reviews
"This eye-opening account from journalist Michel examines the undue influence of domestic and foreign oligarchs in American politics... Readers will be outraged by the egregiousness of it all." ―Publishers Weekly, starred------------------------------------------
"A damning account of an unaccountable caste." ―Kirkus Reviews------------------------------------------
"In [United States of Oligarchy], which delves into the illicit world of dark money, Michel examines the barely hidden control of oligarchs in the United States... An excellent current events book for readers seeking to understand the threat foreign lobbyists pose to U.S. democracy." ―Library Journal------------------------------------------
"In searing detail and packed with revelatory (and relevant) history, United States of Oligarchy tackles the biggest political issue of our time―the poisonous concentration of wealth strangling American democracy. This is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand our present―or attempt to fix our future." ―Garrett M. Graff, New York Times bestselling author of The Devil Reached Toward the Sky------------------------------------------
"This sharply written book offers a devastating critique of America’s contemporary descent into oligarchy. Casey Michel explains the facilitating circumstances through a series of fascinating historical vignettes and an incisive analysis of the key legal cases. If you want to understand how a handful of mega rich men came to dominate American politics this is the book to read." ―Fiona Hill, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution------------------------------------------
"One of the best-written books on the threat to democracy that I've read. Michel isn't clickbaity-alarmist. Read this book, then give it to your crazy uncle who thinks everything is a conspiracy theory (but make sure he knows there's an index of citations)." ―Kal Penn, national bestselling author of You Can't Be Serious------------------------------------------
"Casey Michel has written the definitive account of America’s slide from democracy toward oligarchy. In this gripping and meticulously reported book, Michel connects the dots between Silicon Valley boardrooms, Gulf monarchies, Kremlin playbooks, and Washington politics. United States of Oligarchy shows how American billionaires have become global political actors, and how their alliances with authoritarian regimes threaten the foundations of U.S. democracy. This book is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand power and corruption in the Trump era." ―Tommy Vietor, co-host of Pod Save America------------------------------------------
"After years of studying how foreign oligarchs have manipulated American democracy for profit and power, Casey Michel turns a cold eye on America's new oligarchs...Carefully researched and brilliantly scathing, a searing indictment of the monstrous selfishness and nihilism of this sector of America's ruling class."
―Katherine Stewart, New York Times bestselling author of Money, Lies, and God------------------------------------------
"Oligarchy vs. democracy will be the defining battle of the 21st century. This book is indispensable for anyone who wants to grasp what is at stake with that battle. Engrossing, vivid, and lucid, it is a must read for anyone interested in the future of democracy in the United States and globally." ―Gabriel Zucman, coauthor of The Triumph of Injustice------------------------------------------
"Americans are battered daily by news that corporate profits and billionaire fortunes are up, corruption is breaking our government down, and families in the working and middle classes have little hope of getting ahead. Michel argues with great force that it all stems from the same fundamental struggle―a fight that pits the defenders of American democracy against the strangling power of corporate interests and the ultra-wealthy. It’s an urgent read based on real hope for a restoration of opportunity and democracy in America.” ―Sen. Ron Wyden------------------------------------------
"United States of Oligarchy is a must-read book to understand the role of global and domestic oligarchs in moving the U.S. toward authoritarianism. Scholarly, historically-grounded, and eminently readable, Michel chronicles the steady erosion of democratic norms and illuminates the playbook of globally-connected oligarchs as they undermine democratic self-governing republics." ―Chuck Collins, Institute for Policy Studies, author of Burned by Billionaires: How Concentrated Wealth and Power are Ruining Our Lives and Planet.------------------------------------------
"With United States of Oligarchy, Michel does a genuine public service: unpicking and meticulously documenting every thread in the tangled web of oligarchic schemes that have led the US to its current status as a hot mess. He musters an impressive array of evidence to make the case that America’s richest men have repaid the country that made them prosperous by turning traitor. Not only have they betrayed the ancient social contract of noblesse oblige, but they have actively aligned themselves with the worst enemies of the US―people hell-bent on toppling democracy worldwide. Because many of the schemes and alliances are as absurd as they are sinister, it is difficult to write about them without sounding like a conspiracy theorist. This is where Michel’s rigorous, footnote-rich text really pays off: it keeps the book, along with its readers, grounded in the tangible reality of this horror show, and points to some ways out of it." ―Brooke Harrington, author of Offshoring
About the Author
CASEY MICHEL is an author, journalist, and director of the Combating Kleptocracy Program with the Human Rights Foundation. He is the author of American Kleptocracy, named by The Economist as one of the "best books to read to understand financial crime," and Foreign Agents, which received starred reviews from both Kirkus and Publishers Weekly and was described by Foreign Policy Magazine as one of the "biggest foreign-policy book releases of 2024."
His writing on offshoring, foreign lobbying, authoritarianism, and illicit wealth has appeared in The New York Times, Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, Foreign Affairs, and The Washington Post, among other outlets, and he has appeared on NPR, BBC, CNN, and MSNBC, among other stations. He has also testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on the links between illicit financial networks and national security. He received his Master’s degree in Russian, Eurasian, and East European Studies from Columbia University’s Harriman Institute, and he is currently sanctioned by the Russian regime for his work. United States of Oligarchy is his third book.