Demolition Agenda

The Dismantling of American Government . . . and How We Can Stop It

Thomas O. McGarity

A comprehensive account of the first Trump administration’s efforts to destroy our government institutions, and what we can do before it’s too late

“Demolition Agenda presents chilling details of what happened to health science, environmental science, and consumer protection agencies when President Donald J. Trump put his ‘best people’ in charge.” —Forbes Magazine

In the wake of a return to Trump-era governance, what Forbes Magazine calls the “wealth of solid information” to be found in Thomas O. McGarity’s Demolition Agenda is more urgent than ever. Now available in a revised and updated edition, this groundbreaking work offers a comprehensive look at how the first Trump administration systematically dismantled the country’s regulatory agencies, exposing Americans to greater risks while empowering corporate interests.

From Scott Pruitt’s corruption scandal at the EPA to Elaine Chao’s weakening of transportation safety measures, and Ryan Zinke’s stint as secretary of the interior before he faced eighteen federal inquiries and was fired (and let’s not forget Rick Perry, Betsy DeVos, Sonny Perdue, Andrew Puzder . . . the list goes on), McGarity “writes authoritatively and with revealing detail” (Ralph Nader) about the abuses of power that defined the first Trump administration. A new preface and a new final chapter tell us what to expect in round two . . . and how to protect ourselves from the demolition agenda.

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Praise

“Demolition Agenda by Tom McGarity made me so angry that I had to put the book down every few pages. But then I had to pick it up again and continue reading about Trump’s campaign to destroy the institutions that make people from all over the world strive to become Americans. A heartbreaking, sobering read.”

—Morris Pearl, chair of the Patriotic Millionaires and co-author of Tax the Rich!

“Tom McGarity has long been recognized as a foremost authority on administrative regulation. In Demolition Agenda, he thoroughly dissects Donald Trump’s efforts to dismantle agency programs that Congress has created to protect the public. This excellent book offers a comprehensive and insightful analysis of the political forces and practical strategies that have undermined the rule of law in key policy areas.”

—William F. West, professor of public service and administration, Texas A&M University

“A behind-the-scenes look at a program of social destruction carried on with little fanfare—and to devastating effect.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“The wealth of solid information in Demolition Agenda about what happened to national agencies regulating health, science, and the environment makes it an astonishing and weighty read. It’s the sort of book that journalists, activists, and historians may want to keep on their shelves—forever.”

—Forbes

“Powerful special interests wield outsized influence over American government, leading to disastrous consequences for the American people. McGarity shines a spotlight on those powerful interests and their willing accomplices in the Trump administration. It’s an important story told thoroughly and well.”

—Sheldon Whitehouse, U.S. senator for Rhode Island

“Free market ideologues have worked for decades to dismantle the regulatory state, seeking to return us to the halcyon days when corporations could pollute, poison, and collude with impunity. Until the election of Donald Trump, however, they lacked the populist base they needed to move their extremist ideas into the mainstream. In this deeply researched and sometimes chilling study, Thomas McGarity lays bare the conservative playbook and details the clear and present danger posed by the ‘demolition agenda.’”

—Jack Schneider, associate professor of education at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and co-author of A Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door

“Backed by solid research and deep knowledge of regulatory law, this is a persuasive argument for the power of government to make a positive impact.”

—Publishers Weekly

News and Reviews

The Nation

Read an excerpt adapted from Thomas McGarity's Demolition Agenda in The Nation about the return of two of the Trump era's biggest grifters to the public arena.

Center for Progressive Reform

Watch a discussion of Demolition Agenda with author Thomas McGarity at the Center for Progressive Reform.

The New Press

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