By: Laurie Thomas Vass
Publisher: The Great American Business & Economics Press
Publication Date: October 2025
ISBN: 979-8218817350
Reviewed by: Ephantus Muriuki
Review Date: October 8, 2025
Beneficial Economics: A Red State Citizens Guide to Crafting A Better Constitution When the Government Fails the Citizens by Laurie Thomas Vass is a well written and deeply insightful political and economic manifesto that comes out pretty bold in its objective. Inspired by the author's belief that the current U.S. government, based on James Madison's 1787 Constitution, is totally broken and has been captured by a global corporate elite called the "predatory state," this book aims to guide the people in politically conservative "red states" on how to draft a new federal constitution from the ground up.
In a nutshell, the book argues that the political divide in the U.S. has gotten so bad that a "civil dissolution" is basically inevitable. Instead of just accepting a future under what Vass calls "blue state Democrat Marxism," she thinks red state citizens should peacefully separate and create a new nation. A big chunk of the book is dedicated to explaining why this is necessary - tracing how America supposedly betrayed its citizens and transitioned into a "predatory state capitalism" run for the benefit of a few - and then it lays out the entire blueprint for what comes next. It goes as far as to provide a full draft of a new constitution for a hypothetical "Democratic Republic of American States," something rarely seen outside speculative political thought.
There aren’t really characters in the traditional sense, but abstract forces: the predatory global corporations, the failed U.S. government, and the everyday "red state citizen" who is the book's intended hero and who the author tries to "arm" with a radical plan. You get chapters on "complex adaptive systems" and the neuroscience of decision-making right next to passionate calls to action which makes the read feel like a cross between an academic textbook and a political rally.
The main themes are significant and they include liberty, decentralization, sovereignty, and a deep, distrust of centralized power, whether it's the federal government or big corporations. The author is very focused on the idea of "fair rules" and one gets the sense that she cannot be swayed away from believing that if you create a constitution with truly fair economic and political rules that everyone agrees to follow, a stable and prosperous society will just emerge naturally. I love how the book’s motive is crystal clear right at the start: "The starting premise of this book is that the political polarization between citizens in red states and citizens in blue states has reached a threshold level. At this point in American history, middle and working class citizens in red states are confronted with two paths."
Quill says: Beneficial Economics: A Red State Citizens Guide to Crafting A Better Constitution When the Government Fails the Citizens by Laurie Thomas Vass is a book that is super clear from the start regarding who its intended audience is. It is unique, thought-provoking and solid in its stance. It seems to look the reader directly in the eye and say, “You’re not just a victim, but the next founding father... Here’s how to go about it.” It will leave you wondering what it would actually take for people to try its bold recommendations and what could actually happen if someone tried to put its radical plan into motion. It is a work that stands apart in its conviction and carries a tension that gives it an edge. Is it a dangerous recipe for treason or a last-ditch manual for preserving liberty? The answer to this question isn’t handed to you neatly, but instead the author compels you to take stock of the state of the nation and to decide for yourself just how far things have gone and how far you might be willing to go to fix the system.
For more information about Beneficial Economics: A Red State Citizens Guide to Crafting A Better Constitution When the Government Fails the Citizens, please visit the publisher's website at: www.gabbypress.com.
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