The Age of Voter Rage

Book excerpt: Literary Nonfiction. Democracy is becoming a toxic environment, rife with trolls, bots, fake news and computational propaganda. Why, and what can be done? In this highly informative, engaging and readable book, Canada's lead pollster and data expert Nik Nanos gives an insider's look into the surprise outcomes that favoured Trump, Trudeau, and Macron, along with the Brexit and UK election votes. Nanos asserts that it is more the tyranny of small numbers fuelled by economic anxiety than a massive populist wave. We are in a new era, where the margins wield the power for change and no outcome can be certain. Welcome to the age of voter rage. "In explaining complex political trends, Nanos does what he does best: he goes back to the numbers. A must-read for those who want to better understand not just the political earthquakes that have shaken the West in recent years, but how technology is challenging our ability to know what is truly on the mind of our fellow citizens. Nanos' wake-up call is one we should all hear."--Graham Fox "This is an important book for volatile times. Nik Nanos has demonstrated why, more than ever, we need to understand how public opinion is driving the tumultuous change we're seeing in some of the world's most enduring democracies."--Susan Delacourt