Austerity policies were supposed to save Europe from the financial crisis, but they have increased debt without achieving growth. Mark Blyth exposes austerity as a dangerous dead end serving conservative politics and economic interests. After the financial market crisis, the Great Recession, and the Euro crisis, conservatives worldwide have succeeded in portraying government spending as the main evil and the greatest obstacle to new growth. Following significant increases in public debt due to stimulus programs and bank bailouts, particularly the crisis-stricken countries of the Eurozone are subjected to harsh austerity measures. However, this policy has only exacerbated the crisis. As Mark Blyth demonstrates, austerity is based on flawed statistics and questionable theories. It jeopardizes prosperity and undermines democracy.