The Hard Path to Unity: Why We Must Reform the Left to Rescue Democracy

A bold assessment of America’s populist turn―and a roadmap for rebuilding faith in liberal democracy

“The late congressman’s posthumous book condemns dogmatic insistence on unpopular ideas and offers a roadmap for reconciliation between the center and the left.”―Washington Monthly

In his final book, former Congressman Barney Frank offers a timely analysis of how liberals in the United States and other democracies lost support to xenophobic populism―and how they can find their way back. He argues that this shift stems from two critical failures of the Left: first, ignoring rising economic inequality, and second, failing to disassociate itself from the politically toxic social agenda of “the left wing of the left wing’s left”―especially on immigration, policing, and sexual identity. These errors led many voters to believe that the Left was either indifferent or hostile to their interests.

Combining history and policy insight with his characteristic humor, Frank offers a strategic path toward reclaiming a just and democratic future by decreasing economic inequality and addressing social problems without alienating the majority of voters.

Barney Frank (1940–2026) represented Massachusetts in the US House of Representatives from 1981 to 2013. He chaired the House Financial Services Committee from 2007 until 2011 and cosponsored the 2010 Dodd–Frank Act. His book Frank: A Life in Politics from the Great Society to Same-Sex Marriage was a New York Times bestseller.