Birchers

In 'Birchers: How the John Birch Society Radicalized the American Right,' Matthew Dallek explores the rise and influence of the John Birch Society, an organization founded in the late 1950s that believed in a vast communist conspiracy threatening America.

Despite being dismissed as a paranoid fringe in the 1960s, the Birch Society's extremism significantly remade American conservatism.

The book details how the society's members, mostly white professionals radicalized by calls for racial and gender equality, were courted by conservative leaders to win elections.

Dallek's research shows how the Birch Society's conspiracism and hate laid the groundwork for later far-right movements, including the MAGA movement.

The book offers a comprehensive and insightful look into the history of the John Birch Society and its enduring impact on American politics.