This book is for scholars and students of American politics, political behavior, and political psychology, especially those interested in emotions in politics, polarization, public opinion and democratic values. It shows how anger - omnipresent in contemporary US politics - affects public opinion and voting behavior.
Anger is the central emotion governing US politics, lowering trust in government, weakening democratic values, and forging partisan loyalty.
'American Rage is an important read for anyone interested in understanding Americans' disdain for government and political adversaries. Using a rich array of data, Webster convincingly demonstrates that the political consequences of anger are severe from decreasing people's trust in government to weakening their commitment to democratic norms.' Antoine Banks, University of Maryland