Niall Ferguson’s book "The Square and the Tower" explores how historical moments, like the mass migrations of the late nineteenth century, were facilitated by advancements in global communication and transportation networks. These developments not only allowed people to move across borders in large numbers but also created new cultural dynamics and interactions.

In response to these migrations, political movements characterized by populism and nativism emerged. Ferguson highlights how these movements formed networks aimed at resisting the changes brought about by migration, reflecting a tension between the forces of globalization and the push for national identity and sovereignty.