Authoritarian Drift in the United States

About this book

Something feels off.Not catastrophic. Not undeniable. But persistent enough that it’s hard to ignore.In Authoritarian Drift in the United States, G. Scott Graham examines what happens before a crisis becomes obvious, when institutions are still functioning, daily life continues, and yet something fundamental is shifting beneath the surface.Blending political science with psychological insight, this book explores how democratic erosion is experienced in real time, not through dramatic collapse, but through gradual normalization, uncertainty, and fatigue. Drawing on the work of historians and political theorists, Graham translates large-scale political patterns into something more immediate and personal: how people perceive, adapt to, and sometimes miss early warning signs.This is not a book about predicting outcomes. It is a book about staying oriented while things are still unclear.Inside, you’ll learn:Why harmful systems rarely feel obvious while they are formingHow normalization happens without conscious agreementWhy clarity almost always arrives too lateHow exhaustion quietly reduces attention and resistanceHow to recognize patterns without collapsing into fear or denialAt the center of the book is a practical Early Warning Checklist, designed to help readers distinguish between private anxiety and shared reality, and to determine when attention, oversight, or action becomes necessary.This book does not tell you what to think.It helps you decide when watching is no longer enough. Read more

About the Author

G. Scott Graham is an existential handyman — fixing what’s broken, realigning what’s off-kilter, and helping people rebuild their lives with meaning, purpose, and the occasional strip of duct tape. He’s also an author, career coach, business coach, and psychedelic support coach based in Boston, Massachusetts.

Scott is driven to help clients follow their “true azimuth” — a direction distinct from “true north.” It’s not about chasing some universal ideal. It’s about identifying what genuinely matters to you. It’s about recognizing the forces that pull your life off course and learning how to adjust so you still arrive where your heart wants to go. When you’re 90 and looking back, your life should feel like it was truly yours — filled with pride, purpose, and meaning. No regrets.

When he’s not coaching people to be their very best, Scott runs a nonprofit farm animal rescue in Vermont, where he lives. He does Tough Mudders, teaches Sun 73 Tai Chi, paddleboards with his dogs Groot and Rocket, and camps in State Parks across New England whenever he can. His daily spiritual practice is grounded in anāpānasati, vipassanā, and mettā-bhāvanā meditation. A firm believer in service as the heart of a life well-lived, Scott also volunteers as an EMT instructor, firefighter, and Master Gardener in his community.

In his “free time,” he writes books. And music.

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