Tucson Festival of Books

Tim Alberta


Sponsored by the Marshall Foundation

Tim Alberta is an award-winning journalist, best-selling author and staff writer for The Atlantic magazine. He formerly served as chief political correspondent for Politico. In 2019, he published the critically acclaimed book, "American Carnage: On the Front Lines of the Republican Civil War and the Rise of President Trump" and co-moderated the year's final Democratic presidential debate aired by PBS Newshour.

Hailing from Brighton, Mich., Alberta attended Schoolcraft College and later Michigan State University, where his plans to become a baseball writer were changed by a stint covering the legislature in Lansing, Mich. He went on to spend more than a decade in Washington reporting for publications including The Wall Street Journal, The Hotline, National Journal and National Review. Having covered the biggest stories in national politics—the battles over health care and immigration on Capitol Hill; the election and presidency of Donald Trump; and the ideological warfare between and within the two parties meant Alberta was eager for a new challenge.

In 2019, he moved home to Michigan. Rather than cover the 2020 campaign through the eyes of the candidates, Alberta roved the country and reported from gun shows and farmers markets, black cookouts and white suburbs, crowded wholesale stores and shuttered small businesses. He wrote a regular "Letter to Washington" that kept upstream from politics, focusing less on manifest partisan divisions and more on elusive root causes: the hollowing out of communities, the diminished faith in vital institutions, the self-perpetuating cycle of cultural antagonism, the diverging economic realities for wealthy and working-class citizens, the rapid demographic makeover of America and the corollary spikes in racism and xenophobia.

Alberta joined The Atlantic in March 2021 with a mandate to keep roaming and writing and telling stories that strike at the heart of America's discontent. His work has been featured in dozens of other publications nationwide, including Sports Illustrated and Vanity Fair, and he frequently appears as a commentator on television programs in the United States and around the world. Alberta's first book, "American Carnage," debuted at No. 1 and No. 2 on The Washington Post and New York Times best-seller lists, respectively. His new book is "The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism." He lives in southeast Michigan with his wife, three sons and German Shepherd.

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Scheduled events:
The New GOP’s Evolving Base
The changing demographics and policy preferences of the conservative electorate are evident all over America, from Evangelical Christian churches to multi-racial groups once loyal to Democrats. These authors examine how the continuing shift to more right-leaning values and former President Trump and his tenacious followers will influence the Republican party for years to come.

Student Union Santa Rita (Seats 110)  View this venue on the Festival map
Sat, Mar 9, 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Current Issues / Politics / Social Science
Signing area: Sales & Signing Area - UA BookStore Tent (on Mall) (following presentation)  View this venue on the Festival map

Panelists: Tim Alberta, Jonathan Karl, Patrick Ruffini
Moderator: Michael Chihak
Out of View Political Control
The political machinations we witness daily are only the proverbial tip of the iceberg of what goes on behind the scenes. From pulpits to college campuses to clandestine decisions handed down from the Supreme Court, many influences shape our daily lives. Tina Nguyen and Tim Alberta share their very different personal experiences, while Stephen Vladeck dives deep into the Supreme Court.

Student Union Gallagher Theater (Seats 337)  View this venue on the Festival map
Sun, Mar 10, 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Current Issues / Politics / Social Science
Signing area: Sales & Signing Area - UA BookStore Tent (on Mall) (following presentation)  View this venue on the Festival map

Panelists: Tim Alberta, Tina Nguyen, Stephen Vladeck
Moderator: Thomas Louchheim
Religion's Grip on Politics
As politics and religion become less and less separated as the Constitution mandates, many are left wondering how this complicated issue will sort out. We hear from Mitt Romney's biographer as well as two other authors, one writing on Evangelical Christianity and one delving into the roots of white supremacy.

Student Union Gallagher Theater (Seats 337)  View this venue on the Festival map
Sun, Mar 10, 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Current Issues / Politics / Social Science
Signing area: Sales & Signing Area - UA BookStore Tent (on Mall) (following presentation)  View this venue on the Festival map

Panelists: Tim Alberta, McKay Coppins, Robert Jones
Moderator: David Sadker

Books:
The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory
American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism
Current Issues / Politics / Social Science
HARPERCOLLINS
December 2023
ISBN 9780063226883
400 pages
Buy now

Tim Alberta, author of “American Carnage," was deeply conflicted about the prospect of investigating the evangelical Christian Right. More/less

American Carnage
On the Front Lines of the Republican Civil War and the Rise of President Trump
Current Issues / Politics / Social Science
HarperCollins Publishers
March 2020
ISBN 9780062896353
Paperback, 704 pages