Independent Nation: How the Vital Center Is Changing American Politics

by John P. Avlon

Fifty percent of American voters define themselves as political moderates, two-thirds favor political solutions that come from the center of the political spectrum, and Independents outnumber both Democrats and Republicans. Bill Clinton and George W. Bush each explicitly used Centrist strategies to win the White House—and twenty-first-century candidates will be compelled to do the same.

Independent Nation documents the rich history of the defining political movement of our time. Organized as a series of short and colorful political biographies, it offers an insightful and engaging analysis of the successes and failures of key Centrist leaders throughout the twentieth century. In the process, it demonstrates that Centrism is not only a winning political strategy but an enlightened governing philosophy that best reflects the will of the people by putting patriotism ahead of partisanship and the national interest ahead of special interests.


From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction

400 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

John Phillips Avlon (born 1973) is the author of Independent Nation: How Centrists Can Change American Politics and Wingnuts: How the Lunatic Fringe is Hijacking America. He was a columnist and associate editor for The New York Sun and worked as chief speechwriter for former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani. He was Director of Speechwriting and Deputy Policy Director for Giuliani's 2008 presidential campaign. He is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. He is senior political columnist at TheDailyBeast.com.

Reviews

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good history leasons on past leaders who were moderates. I am surprised by the list of them, Teddy Roosevelt, Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, Woodrow Wilson, Bill Clinton, etc. The book essentially states that the most effective leaders in our history are ones that took a moderate and centrist view of things to squash the radical ideals from both the left and right. Additionally, that most Americans are now considering themselves independents not particular to either party any longer.

I am a little slow in reading it however as my little baby girls is eating up a lot of free time. Also have a neck injury that doesn't let me read for hours on end.

[Shawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

The arguments that we are largely a centrist nation, and that presidential candidates therefore need to appeal to the middle to win in the general election are good, albeit a little repetitive. I get it: You need to appeal to the left or right wing to win the party nomination, and the center to win in the general, so we will tend to wind up with centrist candidates, or at ones that can sound that way around election time.

[Derek]

More of a case study of past politicians than a current roadmap. Neat look at how partisanship has always divided politics and hindered change while centrism has been the source of advancement.

[Jacob Salaj · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read on radical centrism in American politics and how these many centrists have influenced America. Avalon presents his thesis that the greatest political influences of the last century didn’t come from the so called left or right, but the center, where many Americans tend to be.

[Sam Snideman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book in graduate school, when my political beliefs were crystallizing around centrist politics. It gives some very interesting, insightful profiles of centrist political figures in American history. I think it's a good place to start if you're looking to consider how moderates in America have shaped our government and our public policy, and if you'd like to see America move back to being the center-right country it's always been.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure: John is a good friend. Still, he is an excellent author and captures the nature and essence of political independence and idependents. A perfect read for this upcoming election.

[Timothy Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Every self-proclaimed politician should read it!