The Dying Citizen: How Progressive Elites, Tribalism, and Globalization Are Destroying the Idea of America

Central Thesis

The book asserts that the idea of the citizen — defined as an autonomous, self-governing participant in a political community — is fading. Hanson maintains that this erosion is due to overlapping structural and ideological forces: economic dependency weakens citizenship; global elites and 'global citizenship' have diluted loyalty to the American polity; identity politics and tribalism corrode the civic ideal of equality before the law; and the growth of unelected bureaucracy weakens democratic accountability.

Why It Matters

In an age of polarized politics, deep inequality, and global interdependence, The Dying Citizen challenges readers to reassess what it means to belong to a nation. The book raises important questions about what responsibilities citizenship actually entails, how civic engagement can be renewed, and what social and political structures support a healthy republic. It serves as a call to reawaken the civic virtues that have long been central to the republic.