Brauer, Ralph

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Brauer, Ralph

PERSONAL:

Married: wife a nursing professor; children: a son.

ADDRESSES:

Office—Transforming Schools Consortium, 14419 Waco St., Ramsey, MN 55303.

CAREER:

Writer. Previously worked as a college teacher and administrator, and consultant to federal, state and local government agencies.

WRITINGS:

The Strange Death of Liberal America, Praeger Publishers (Westport, CT), 2006.

Contributor to periodicals, including the New York Times, Nation, In These Times, and Newsweek; also author of The Strange Death of Liberal America blog.

SIDELIGHTS:

In his first book, The Strange Death of Liberal America, Ralph Brauer takes a look at the rise and, perhaps, fall of liberalism in the United States. On his blog site, also called The Strange Death of Liberal America, the author notes that the inspiration for his book came from his family, especially his grandfather and uncle, who escaped Nazi persecution. In his book, the author outlines how he believes that certain fundamental liberal values that formed the basis of the United States, such as economic justice and equality of education for all, are being undermined by factors such as economic exclusivity and an education system that favors ideology rather than free thinking. He also notes what he perceives a growing lack of fair opportunity for all citizens of the United States, circumstances that Brauer believes is often supported by the Republican Party and the ultra-conservative religious Right. The author also writes about issues such as voting rights violations and offers his own suggestions on returning America to what the author views as the more just path of liberalism. Willis M. Buhle, writing in Reviewer's Bookwatch, called The Strange Death of Liberal America "part modern political history, part lamentation."