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Regime Change

Written by Patrick J. Deneen

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289 pages, about 6 hours of reading

Political science

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About this book

From Notre Dame professor and author of Why Liberalism Failed comes a provocative call for replacing the tyranny of the self-serving liberal elite with conservative leaders aligned with the interests of the working class Classical liberalism promised to overthrow the old aristocracy, creating an order in which individuals could create their own identities and futures. To some extent it did—but it has also demolished the traditions and institutions that nourished ordinary people and created a new and exploitative ruling class. This class’s economic libertarianism, progressive values, and technocratic commitments have led them to rule for the benefit of the “few” at the expense of the “many,” precipitating our current political crises. In Regime Change, Patrick Deneen proposes a bold plan for replacing the liberal elite and the ideology that created and empowered them. Grass-roots populist efforts to destroy the ruling class altogether are naive; what’s needed is the strategic formation of a new elite devoted to a “pre-postmodern conservatism” and aligned with the interest of the “many.” Their top-down efforts to form a new governing philosophy, ethos, and class could transform our broken regime from one that serves only the so-called meritocrats. Drawing on the oldest lessons of the western tradition but recognizing the changed conditions that arise in liberal modernity, Deneen offers a roadmap for these changes, offering hope for progress after “progress” and liberty after liberalism.

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Reading guide

Themes, characters and key ideas in Regime Change, written by Chaptra AI.

  • about 8 hours
  • advanced
  • provocative
  • critical
  • analytical

In "Regime Change," Patrick J. Deneen critically examines the failures of classical liberalism, arguing that its promise of individual freedom has ironically led to the dominance of a self-serving, technocratic elite. This new ruling class, characterized by economic libertarianism and progressive values, governs for the benefit of the 'few' at the expense of the 'many,' thus precipitating modern political crises. Deneen proposes a radical solution: not a populist destruction of the elite, but the strategic formation of a new, 'pre-postmodern conservative' elite. This new leadership, drawing on ancient Western wisdom and aligned with the interests of the working class, would undertake a top-down transformation to replace the current broken regime with one truly serving the common good.

“Classical liberalism promised to overthrow the old aristocracy... but it has also demolished the traditions and institutions that nourished ordinary people and created a new and exploitative ruling class.”

Key themes

Critique of Liberalism
The central theme of the book is a deep and systematic critique of classical liberalism, arguing that its foundational principles, while promising freedom and equality, have paradoxically led to the erosion of traditional institutions, the rise of a new aristocratic elite, and widespread societal fragmentation and political crisis. Deneen posits that liberalism's emphasis on individualism and its dismantling of communal bonds have created a void filled by a self-serving ruling class.
Elite Formation and Governance
Deneen extensively explores the nature of the current 'liberal elite,' their values, and how they govern. Crucially, the book also proposes the strategic formation of a *new* elite as the primary mechanism for 'regime change,' emphasizing that governance is inherently an elite function and that a virtuous society requires a virtuous, aligned leadership.
Pre-Postmodern Conservatism
This theme introduces Deneen's proposed ideological framework for the new elite. It's a form of conservatism that consciously draws on the 'oldest lessons of the western tradition' (pre-modern) while recognizing and adapting to the 'changed conditions that arise in liberal modernity' (post-modern). It seeks to move beyond both classical liberalism and reactive, unreflective populism to re-establish a more robust, communally oriented political philosophy.

Worth discussing

How does Deneen define the 'liberal elite,' and do you agree with his characterization of their economic, social, and technocratic commitments?

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