The Political Vise

How the Radical Left Controls America and the Path to Regaining Our Liberty

How does the Radical Left keep winning, even when it’s losing?

In The Political Vise, political strategist and policy leader John Tillman unmasks the hidden machinery driving America’s relentless leftward drift.

Drawing on decades of experience, including a landmark legal victory at the Supreme Court in Janus v. AFSCME, Tillman introduces a powerful framework for how political power has been used since the country’s founding: a three-sided vise of the media, elite influencers, and the American people that holds politicians accountable. But in recent years, the Radical Left has created its own version of the vise that instead applies constant pressure to the people. The result? Radical policies like gender-transitioning children, welcoming illegal immigrants by the millions, claiming every white person is a racist, appeasing China, and acceptance of Islamic extremism.

This book isn’t just a diagnosis—it’s a battle plan. With sharp analysis and behind-the-scenes stories from the front lines of politics, Tillman shows how conservatives can use the vise the way it was intended and put the American people back in control. From Capitol Hill to school boards, The Political Vise arms readers with the tools to fight back against cultural coercion, institutional decay, and the slow suffocation of the American spirit.

If you've ever wondered why conservatives veer left in office or why opposing the woke agenda seems so futile, this is the book you’ve been waiting for. Smart, bold, and grounded in constitutional ideals, this book is both an in-the-trenches look at how politics actually works and a call to action to take back our political system.

$30.00
ISBN: 979-8-89138-832-1
Imprint: RealClear Publishing
SKU: 18-1483-01
Categories:New Releases, RealClear Publishing, Politics and Current Affairs

“As governor and now working with students, I’ve seen how the Radical Left has co-opted power from the American people. In The Political Vise, John Tillman exposes their strategy and then presents a plan to restore power where our founders intended—with We the People. Conservatives young and old should read this book.”

—Scott Walker, former governor, Wisconsin

“In The Political Vise, John Tillman reveals why so many politicians regularly vote for policies that are counter to the views of their constituents. Politicians respond to pressure. Too often the greatest pressure is not coming from the voters but rather the insiders, dealmakers and special interests. Tillman explains how and why this happens and provides a road map for the American people to fix it.”

—Scott Rasmussen, founder, Napolitan Institute; president, RMG Research

“The Political Vise tells the truth so many don’t want to hear: government unions, the trial bar, corporate interests seeking tax and regulatory favors, and do-gooder progressive ideologues mount continuous pressure campaigns to move politicians to vote against America’s best interest. I learned long ago that the best antidote is a robust grassroots movement. In The Political Vise, Tillman shows how the American people, starting with the grassroots activists, can retake control of our republic.”

—Ned Ryun, founder and CEO, American Majority

“The Political Vise is a battle plan for conservatives and free marketeers to take back our country from the Radical Left and win the twenty-first-century war of ideas. Losing is not an option.”

—Stephen Moore, author of Trumponomics and cofounder, Club for Growth

“Ours is indeed a system of We the People, but it is often really ‘We the People . . . who show up.’ In The Political Vise, John not only lays out what happens when showing up is left to the Radical Left—he offers a clear, empirical, and important blueprint for how the right can start winning again.”

—Jase Bolger, former speaker, Michigan House of Representatives

John Tillman

Free-Market Public Policy Leader

John Tillman is CEO of the American Culture Project and the founder and CEO of the Hall of Giants. John is one of the nation’s most influential leaders in the free-market public-policy movement. He is best known for building the Illinois Policy Institute into one of the most impactful state-based think tanks in the country, serving as its CEO from 2007 to 2020. He also served as chairman of the board for 19 years before resigning to narrow his focus on his national initiatives and his forthcoming book, The Political Vise.

John cofounded and chaired the Liberty Justice Center (LJC) from 2011 through 2020. LJC successfully argued the landmark Janus v. AFSCME case before the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018, ending mandatory union fees for public employees.

John is the founder and chairman of numerous organizations advancing liberty, free enterprise, and accountability in public life. These include the Franklin News Foundation, which covers all 50 states and Washington, DC, and whose flagship wire service, The Center Square, reaches more than 2.2 million readers daily. John also cofounded the digital marketing agency Iron Light, among others.

John is the founder and driving force behind the Hall of Giants, a major cultural initiative dedicated to celebrating entrepreneurs and all that they do to improve the human condition. The Hall of Giants will debut on the National Mall this summer as part of the 250th birthday celebration of America’s founding. The 5200 square foot traveling exhibit includes immersive exhibits and storytelling on America’s entrepreneurs from the founding to the present. To learn more, go to Hallofgiants.org.

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