The Republican Party and American Politics from Hoover to Reagan
Cambridge University Press, 11/21/2011
EAN 9781107007048, ISBN10: 1107007046
Hardcover, 320 pages, 23.9 x 15.7 x 2.3 cm
Language: English
During a long period of the twentieth century, stretching from the Great Depression until the Reagan years, defeat generally characterized the electoral record of the Republican party. Although Republicans sometimes secured victory in presidential contests, a majority of Americans identified with the Democratic party, not the GOP. This book investigates how Republicans tackled the problem of their party's minority status and why their efforts to boost GOP fortunes usually ended in failure. At the heart of the Republicans' minority puzzle was the profound and persistent popularity of New Deal liberalism. This puzzle was stubbornly resistant to solution. Efforts to develop a Republican version of government activism met little success. Only the Democratic party's decline eventually created opportunities for Republican resurgence. This book is the first to offer a wide-ranging analysis of the topic, which is of central importance to any understanding of modern US political history.
Introduction
1. From old Home Melodies to jazz music
1928–33
2. As Maine goes, so goes Vermont
1933–9
3. The simple barefoot Wall Street lawyer
1939–45
4. Liberty versus socialism
1945–53
5. Modern Republicanism
1953–61
6. A choice, not an echo
1960–8
7. There's a realignment going on
1968–76
8. You are witnessing the great realignment
1977–89
Conclusion.