Out of Touch

A data-driven indictment of how a tiny class of politically active elites hijacked America’s institutions, shattered national trust, and turned citizens against one another—and what the rest of us can do about it. America feels divided beyond repair. Families stop talking, friends walk on eggshells, politics has become tribal, angry, and hopeless. But what if the story we’ve been told about our national divide is wrong? In Out of Touch, legendary pollster Scott Rasmussen reveals the real source of America’s crisis: not ordinary voters, not even partisan extremists—but a powerful and insulated Elite One Percent who dominate media, universities, corporations, and government itself. Drawing on unprecedented national surveys, Rasmussen exposes a shocking reality: These elites trust government more than the public, believe Americans have too much freedom, and increasingly doubt whether everyday citizens should even be allowed to vote. While Americans across party lines still agree on core values—freedom, equality, and self-governance—the ruling political culture has drifted far from those ideals. The result is a nation trapped in manufactured conflict while decisions are quietly centralized in elite hands. This book doesn’t preach left or right; it follows the data. And what the data reveals should alarm anyone who cares about democracy. Out of Touch is a wake-up call, a warning, and a roadmap for renewing the American promise before it slips away.