Why Is This Happening? The Chris Hayes Podcast

America’s Right Turn with Rick Perlstein

How did America’s modern conservative movement come to power? Historian and author Rick Perlstein’s prolific work has traced the arc of modern electoral politics, and specifically has laid out how modern conservatism arose. This week, he sits down to talk about his newest book “Reaganland” and how the ideological shifts and circumstances that lead to the 1980 election of Ronald Reagan helped set the stage for the conservative embrace of Donald Trump today. Related:<a href="https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781476793054" target="_blank">Reaganland: America’s Right Turn 1976-1980</a> by Rick Perlstein<a href="https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781476782423" target="_blank">The Invisible Bridge: The Fall of Nixon and the Rise of Reagan</a> by Rick Perlstein<a href="https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780743243032" target="_blank">Nixonland: The Rise of a President and the Fracturing of America</a> by Rick Perlstein <a href="https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781568584126" target="_blank">Before the Storm: Barry Goldwater and the Unmaking of the American Consensus</a> by Rick Perlstein<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/08/24/republicanmeltdown-trump-convention-400039" target="_blank">The Grand Old Meltdown</a> (Politico)

Every week Chris Hayes asks the big questions that keep him up at night. How do we make sense of this unprecedented moment in world history? Why is this (all) happening?

This podcast starts to answer these questions. Writers, experts, and thinkers who are also trying to get to the bottom of them join Chris to break it all down and help him get a better night’s rest. “Why is this Happening?” is presented by MSNBC and NBCNews Think.