Resources
Click here to visit our YouTube channel. All the videos referenced in the book are on the YouTube channel, including over 60 campaign commercials from 1952 to 2020. Watch the trailer below for a preview. This page also includes summaries of the four eras in the Echo Cycle.
Video
Hope, Fear & Elections references over 60 campaign commercials from Dwight Eisenhower's "I Like Ike" and Lyndon Johnson's "Daisy" ads, to Barack Obama's 2008 ads and Donald Trump's 2016 ads. Watch the trailer for a preview. If you own a print copy of the book, you can see the full videos using the QR code in the book. Or, you can watch them on YouTube. Click here to go to our YouTube channel.
Group/Hope
The Group/Hope era is one of both optimism and tribalism. Speculation leads to economic crashes (the stock market in 1929, and the housing bubble in 2008), and tribalism infiltrates culture and politics, splintering us into smaller groups. This era includes the presidencies of Calvin Coolidge, Barack Obama, and George W. Bush.
Tipping Point
When Group/Hope meets the Tipping Point, tensions boil over. This started most recently in 2015, the first year of the Fourth Tipping Point (2015-2025). Since then, we’ve seen the rise of populism and conflicts based on race, income, gender, and politics. At the peak of this period (2020), our democracy was stretched to its limits by these divisions. Previous Tipping Points have included the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and World War II.
Group/Fear
Group/Fear is a time of fear and collectivism. We elect presidents who promise safety and stability, we rebuild from the Tipping Point, and we conform to strict social rules. In the most recent Group/Fear era (1940-1960), we pulled together as a country to win World War II, but also fell victim to McCarthyism and conformity. This era includes the presidencies of George Washington, Ulysses Grant, and Dwight Eisenhower.
Individual/Hope
The Individual/Hope era is one of individualism and creativity. We fight for civil rights, push gender norms, and make revolutionary art and music. In the most recent Individual/Hope era (1960-1980), we saw the civil rights movement, anti-war protests, and the sexual revolution. This era includes the presidencies of Thomas Jefferson, John F. Kennedy, and Jimmy Carter.
Individual/Fear
Individual/Fear is an era of self-indulgence followed by introspection. In the first decade, individualism turns into hero worship. In the second, the pendulum swings back. This happened most recently in the 1980s (a decade of greed) followed by the 1990s (a decade of anti-heroes). This era includes presidents from both sides, including Teddy Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton.