Dylan Riley

Dylan Riley, a UC Berkeley sociologist and author of The Civic Foundations of Fascism, examines the dynamics of civil society and democracy in today's political landscape. He discusses how social media acts as a contemporary analogue to interwar civil society, facilitating mobilization and shaming. Riley contrasts Trumpism with classic fascism, probing the complexities of MAGA's strategies and the fragmentation of culture. He also addresses the challenges facing the Democratic Party and the intricacies of right-wing working-class alignment in modern America.

Dylan Riley, a UC Berkeley sociologist who studies class formation, and Robert Brenner, an economic historian of capitalism, discuss Trumpism as a coherent counterrevolutionary project. They trace its roots to long economic stagnation and a split between credentialed and non‑credentialed workers. They focus on attacks on universities, expansion of the security state as jobs policy, AI displacing credentialed labor, and the unraveling of the international order.

Dylan Riley, a sociology professor at UC Berkeley and expert on fascism, dives into the intricacies of Trump’s political style and his impact on democracy. He discusses the alarming Project 2025 and the reactionary gender politics within the MAGA movement. Riley characterizes Trump as a charismatic misfit rather than a conventional fascist. The conversation also touches on the January 6th insurrection, the complexities of loyalty within governance, and parallels with global far-right movements, offering a critical lens on modern political dynamics.