Charles Derber Interview Episode 667

What happens when economic power, political influence, and public frustration collide? In this episode, I'm joined by acclaimed sociologist and author Charles Derber to discuss his book Fighting Oligarchy: How Positive Populism Can Reclaim America. Derber argues that America is facing a growing crisis of concentrated power — and that the answer may lie in building a broad, democratic populist movement capable of challenging oligarchy while resisting authoritarianism. We explore the history of populism in the United States, the political forces shaping the current moment, and what a more inclusive and constructive vision of populism could look like.