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.

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 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.