In The Death of the Liberal Class (Nation Books, 2010), Pulitzer‑prize‑winning journalist Chris Hedges charts the slow unraveling of the American liberal tradition—the coalition of reform‑minded institutions once expected to protect working people, expand civil liberties, and hold power to account. Hedges argues that five pillars of the liberal class—the press, universities, mainline churches, labor unions, and the Democratic Party—were gradually co‑opted by corporate interests during the 20th century. Their capture left ordinary citizens without credible champions and opened the door to political demagoguery, economic predation, and cultural nihilism. What follows is a structured look at Hedges’ core argument, evidence, and forward‑looking implications.