Leah Wright Rigueur
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691159010
- eISBN:
- 9781400852437
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691159010.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, Political History
Covering more than four decades of American social and political history, this book examines the ideas and actions of black Republican activists, officials, and politicians, from the era of the New ...
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Covering more than four decades of American social and political history, this book examines the ideas and actions of black Republican activists, officials, and politicians, from the era of the New Deal to Ronald Reagan's presidential ascent in 1980. Their unique stories reveal African Americans fighting for an alternative economic and civil rights movement—even as the Republican Party appeared increasingly hostile to that very idea. Black party members attempted to influence the direction of conservatism—not to destroy it, but rather to expand the ideology to include black needs and interests. As racial minorities in their political party and as political minorities within their community, black Republicans occupied an irreconcilable position—they were shunned by African American communities and subordinated by the Grand Old Party (GOP). In response, black Republicans vocally, and at times viciously, critiqued members of their race and party, in an effort to shape the attitudes and public images of black citizens and the GOP. Moving beyond traditional liberalism and conservatism, black Republicans sought to address African American racial experiences in a distinctly Republican way. This book provides a new understanding of the interaction between African Americans and the Republican Party, and the seemingly incongruous intersection of civil rights and American conservatism.Less
Covering more than four decades of American social and political history, this book examines the ideas and actions of black Republican activists, officials, and politicians, from the era of the New Deal to Ronald Reagan's presidential ascent in 1980. Their unique stories reveal African Americans fighting for an alternative economic and civil rights movement—even as the Republican Party appeared increasingly hostile to that very idea. Black party members attempted to influence the direction of conservatism—not to destroy it, but rather to expand the ideology to include black needs and interests. As racial minorities in their political party and as political minorities within their community, black Republicans occupied an irreconcilable position—they were shunned by African American communities and subordinated by the Grand Old Party (GOP). In response, black Republicans vocally, and at times viciously, critiqued members of their race and party, in an effort to shape the attitudes and public images of black citizens and the GOP. Moving beyond traditional liberalism and conservatism, black Republicans sought to address African American racial experiences in a distinctly Republican way. This book provides a new understanding of the interaction between African Americans and the Republican Party, and the seemingly incongruous intersection of civil rights and American conservatism.
Jeffery A. Jenkins and Charles Stewart
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691118123
- eISBN:
- 9781400845460
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691118123.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
The Speaker of the House of Representatives is the most powerful partisan figure in the contemporary U.S. Congress. How this came to be, and how the majority party in the House has made control of ...
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The Speaker of the House of Representatives is the most powerful partisan figure in the contemporary U.S. Congress. How this came to be, and how the majority party in the House has made control of the speakership a routine matter, is far from straightforward. This book provides a comprehensive history of how speakers have been elected in the U.S. House since 1789, arguing that the organizational politics of these elections were critical to the construction of mass political parties in America and laid the groundwork for the role they play in setting the agenda of Congress today. The book shows how the speakership began as a relatively weak office, and how votes for Speaker prior to the Civil War often favored regional interests over party loyalty. While struggle, contention, and deadlock over House organization were common in the antebellum era, such instability vanished with the outbreak of war, as the majority party became an “organizational cartel” capable of controlling with certainty the selection of the Speaker and other key House officers. This organizational cartel has survived Gilded Age partisan strife, Progressive Era challenge, and conservative coalition politics to guide speakership elections through the present day. This book reveals how struggles over House organization prior to the Civil War were among the most consequential turning points in American political history.Less
The Speaker of the House of Representatives is the most powerful partisan figure in the contemporary U.S. Congress. How this came to be, and how the majority party in the House has made control of the speakership a routine matter, is far from straightforward. This book provides a comprehensive history of how speakers have been elected in the U.S. House since 1789, arguing that the organizational politics of these elections were critical to the construction of mass political parties in America and laid the groundwork for the role they play in setting the agenda of Congress today. The book shows how the speakership began as a relatively weak office, and how votes for Speaker prior to the Civil War often favored regional interests over party loyalty. While struggle, contention, and deadlock over House organization were common in the antebellum era, such instability vanished with the outbreak of war, as the majority party became an “organizational cartel” capable of controlling with certainty the selection of the Speaker and other key House officers. This organizational cartel has survived Gilded Age partisan strife, Progressive Era challenge, and conservative coalition politics to guide speakership elections through the present day. This book reveals how struggles over House organization prior to the Civil War were among the most consequential turning points in American political history.
Andrew L. Slap
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- March 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780823227099
- eISBN:
- 9780823234998
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Fordham University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5422/fso/9780823227099.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, Political History
In the Election of 1872 the conflict between President U. S. Grant and Horace Greeley has been typically understood as a battle for the soul of the ruling Republican Party. This book ...
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In the Election of 1872 the conflict between President U. S. Grant and Horace Greeley has been typically understood as a battle for the soul of the ruling Republican Party. This book argues forcefully that the campaign was more than a narrow struggle between Party elites and a class-based radical reform movement. The election, it demonstrates, had broad consequences: in their opposition to widespread Federal corruption, Greeley Republicans unintentionally doomed Reconstruction of any kind, even as they lost the election. Based on close readings of newspapers, party documents, and other primary sources, the book confronts one of the major questions in American political history: How, and why, did Reconstruction come to an end? Its focus on the unintended consequences of liberal republican politics is a provocative contribution to this important debate.Less
In the Election of 1872 the conflict between President U. S. Grant and Horace Greeley has been typically understood as a battle for the soul of the ruling Republican Party. This book argues forcefully that the campaign was more than a narrow struggle between Party elites and a class-based radical reform movement. The election, it demonstrates, had broad consequences: in their opposition to widespread Federal corruption, Greeley Republicans unintentionally doomed Reconstruction of any kind, even as they lost the election. Based on close readings of newspapers, party documents, and other primary sources, the book confronts one of the major questions in American political history: How, and why, did Reconstruction come to an end? Its focus on the unintended consequences of liberal republican politics is a provocative contribution to this important debate.
Christopher B. Chapp
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- August 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780801451263
- eISBN:
- 9780801465680
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Cornell University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7591/cornell/9780801451263.003.0002
- Subject:
- Political Science, American Politics
This chapter begins by tackling emotion and identity from a historical point of view, evaluating the use of religious rhetoric in American politics from early Puritan political communities through ...
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This chapter begins by tackling emotion and identity from a historical point of view, evaluating the use of religious rhetoric in American politics from early Puritan political communities through the twentieth century. By examining the evolution of religious rhetoric, the chapter provides insight into how religious rhetoric is constitutive of American political culture and how it is used politically across contexts. The main argument here is that emotion and identity are central elements in religious rhetoric throughout American history; identity and emotion provide considerable insight into American political culture and political preference formation. Religious rhetoric, thus, is not attached to any one political issue or ideological outlook; rather, it is a flexible genre that has been appropriated to fit numerous political causes.Less
This chapter begins by tackling emotion and identity from a historical point of view, evaluating the use of religious rhetoric in American politics from early Puritan political communities through the twentieth century. By examining the evolution of religious rhetoric, the chapter provides insight into how religious rhetoric is constitutive of American political culture and how it is used politically across contexts. The main argument here is that emotion and identity are central elements in religious rhetoric throughout American history; identity and emotion provide considerable insight into American political culture and political preference formation. Religious rhetoric, thus, is not attached to any one political issue or ideological outlook; rather, it is a flexible genre that has been appropriated to fit numerous political causes.
Timothy Stanley and Jonathan Bell
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- April 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780252036866
- eISBN:
- 9780252093982
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Illinois Press
- DOI:
- 10.5406/illinois/9780252036866.003.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, American Politics
This introductory chapter considers the challenges, setbacks, and accomplishments of American liberal reformers in the twentieth century. Covering themes such as gender, class, labor, race, urban ...
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This introductory chapter considers the challenges, setbacks, and accomplishments of American liberal reformers in the twentieth century. Covering themes such as gender, class, labor, race, urban development, and underlying ideology, ten experts in their given fields have identified ways in which liberal politics has helped shape the nation's political landscape over the last half century. American political history cannot be labeled uniformly as conservative or liberal. Rather, there are conservative moments and liberal moments. Throughout them, reform is possible if given the right leadership and political context. Particular attention is given to the importance of grassroots coalition efforts to the functioning of “high politics” and policy making.Less
This introductory chapter considers the challenges, setbacks, and accomplishments of American liberal reformers in the twentieth century. Covering themes such as gender, class, labor, race, urban development, and underlying ideology, ten experts in their given fields have identified ways in which liberal politics has helped shape the nation's political landscape over the last half century. American political history cannot be labeled uniformly as conservative or liberal. Rather, there are conservative moments and liberal moments. Throughout them, reform is possible if given the right leadership and political context. Particular attention is given to the importance of grassroots coalition efforts to the functioning of “high politics” and policy making.
Christopher J. Phillips
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- May 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780226184968
- eISBN:
- 9780226185019
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226185019.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine
The new math changed the way Americans think about mathematics. The mathematicians and teachers who designed the novel and controversial curriculum in the late 1950s--generously supported by the ...
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The new math changed the way Americans think about mathematics. The mathematicians and teachers who designed the novel and controversial curriculum in the late 1950s--generously supported by the National Science Foundation--believed that citizens in modern society needed to learn “modern” mathematics. New math’s proponents wanted to present mathematics as an abstract, and highly structured, system of knowledge, not as a set of computational facts or rules. The curriculum’s significance extended far beyond the math classroom, however. Its supporters desired nothing less than reforming American society by revolutionizing the way schoolchildren learned to think. Combining archival research into one key new math organization, the School Mathematics Study Group, with published and unpublished accounts of teachers, parents, mathematicians, and politicians, this book situates the math curriculum within the history of science and American political history. Forged in the crucible of Cold War fears of intellectual inadequacy, deployed in the heyday of the liberal “Great Society,” and criticized by ascendant conservatives in the 1970s, the rise and fall of the new math embedded the political ferment of mid-century America. Both proponents and critics believed learning math counted as learning to think and evaluated the curriculum by reference to the intellectual discipline it would provide. Debates about the math curriculum were ultimately debates about the role of mental habits in shaping social and political order.Less
The new math changed the way Americans think about mathematics. The mathematicians and teachers who designed the novel and controversial curriculum in the late 1950s--generously supported by the National Science Foundation--believed that citizens in modern society needed to learn “modern” mathematics. New math’s proponents wanted to present mathematics as an abstract, and highly structured, system of knowledge, not as a set of computational facts or rules. The curriculum’s significance extended far beyond the math classroom, however. Its supporters desired nothing less than reforming American society by revolutionizing the way schoolchildren learned to think. Combining archival research into one key new math organization, the School Mathematics Study Group, with published and unpublished accounts of teachers, parents, mathematicians, and politicians, this book situates the math curriculum within the history of science and American political history. Forged in the crucible of Cold War fears of intellectual inadequacy, deployed in the heyday of the liberal “Great Society,” and criticized by ascendant conservatives in the 1970s, the rise and fall of the new math embedded the political ferment of mid-century America. Both proponents and critics believed learning math counted as learning to think and evaluated the curriculum by reference to the intellectual discipline it would provide. Debates about the math curriculum were ultimately debates about the role of mental habits in shaping social and political order.
Douglas L. Kriner and Eric Schickler
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- January 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780691171852
- eISBN:
- 9781400883639
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691171852.003.0002
- Subject:
- Political Science, American Politics
This chapter explores the forces driving variation in congressional willingness to use its investigative powers over time. Marshaling an original dataset identifying more than 11,900 days of ...
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This chapter explores the forces driving variation in congressional willingness to use its investigative powers over time. Marshaling an original dataset identifying more than 11,900 days of investigative hearings held in the House and Senate from 1898 to 2014, it examines the institutional, partisan, and ideological forces that drive the considerable temporal variation in the frequency with which Congress exercises its investigative powers over more than a century of American political history. It shows that both partisan forces and policy disagreements drive variation in investigative activity. These effects are most robust in the House of Representatives, where there is a strong, consistent relationship between divided government and investigative activity, and where heightened polarization boosts the impact of divided party control.Less
This chapter explores the forces driving variation in congressional willingness to use its investigative powers over time. Marshaling an original dataset identifying more than 11,900 days of investigative hearings held in the House and Senate from 1898 to 2014, it examines the institutional, partisan, and ideological forces that drive the considerable temporal variation in the frequency with which Congress exercises its investigative powers over more than a century of American political history. It shows that both partisan forces and policy disagreements drive variation in investigative activity. These effects are most robust in the House of Representatives, where there is a strong, consistent relationship between divided government and investigative activity, and where heightened polarization boosts the impact of divided party control.
Matt Grossmann
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- April 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780199967834
- eISBN:
- 9780199370726
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199967834.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, American Politics
This book presents a new view of American policymaking, focusing on networks of actors responsible for policymaking. Policy change is not easily predictable from election results or public opinion ...
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This book presents a new view of American policymaking, focusing on networks of actors responsible for policymaking. Policy change is not easily predictable from election results or public opinion because compromise and coalitions among individual actors make a difference in all three branches of government. The amount of government action, the issue content of policy changes, and the ideological direction of policy all depend on the joint actions of executive officials, legislators, and interest group leaders. The patterns of cooperation among policymakers and activists make each issue area and time period different from the others and undermine attempts to build an unchanging unified model of American policymaking. The project relies on a content analysis of 268 books and articles on the history of 14 different major policy areas over 60 years. The histories collectively uncover the 790 most significant policy enactments of the federal government and credit 1,306 specific actors for their role in policy change, along with more than 60 circumstantial factors. The book compiles and integrates these findings to assess the factors that drive policymaking.Less
This book presents a new view of American policymaking, focusing on networks of actors responsible for policymaking. Policy change is not easily predictable from election results or public opinion because compromise and coalitions among individual actors make a difference in all three branches of government. The amount of government action, the issue content of policy changes, and the ideological direction of policy all depend on the joint actions of executive officials, legislators, and interest group leaders. The patterns of cooperation among policymakers and activists make each issue area and time period different from the others and undermine attempts to build an unchanging unified model of American policymaking. The project relies on a content analysis of 268 books and articles on the history of 14 different major policy areas over 60 years. The histories collectively uncover the 790 most significant policy enactments of the federal government and credit 1,306 specific actors for their role in policy change, along with more than 60 circumstantial factors. The book compiles and integrates these findings to assess the factors that drive policymaking.
Micaela di Leonardo
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- June 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780190870195
- eISBN:
- 9780190870225
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190870195.003.0002
- Subject:
- Sociology, Race and Ethnicity, Culture
Chapter 2 uses autobiographical material to lay out radio/black radio and African American music history, from the 1950s to the present—across the West and East Coasts, the South, and the ...
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Chapter 2 uses autobiographical material to lay out radio/black radio and African American music history, from the 1950s to the present—across the West and East Coasts, the South, and the Midwest—particularly the 1980s generational split in black radio programming, in response to the rise of rap and hip-hop. The chapter also defines and lays out the related R&B-style Quiet Storm radio phenomenon. Tom Joyner’s career and the TJMS’s rise within that history are documented, and its evolving politics and crew members are described. The chapter summarizes the scant public-sphere attention this black radio giant has received.Less
Chapter 2 uses autobiographical material to lay out radio/black radio and African American music history, from the 1950s to the present—across the West and East Coasts, the South, and the Midwest—particularly the 1980s generational split in black radio programming, in response to the rise of rap and hip-hop. The chapter also defines and lays out the related R&B-style Quiet Storm radio phenomenon. Tom Joyner’s career and the TJMS’s rise within that history are documented, and its evolving politics and crew members are described. The chapter summarizes the scant public-sphere attention this black radio giant has received.
David S. Heidler and Jeanne T. Heidler
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780813035253
- eISBN:
- 9780813039121
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813035253.003.0005
- Subject:
- History, American History: early to 18th Century
This chapter focuses on Jackson's 1818 invasion of Spanish Florida—the First Seminole War—and the immeasurable repercussions of that brief event. It demonstrates how this conflict shaped the course ...
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This chapter focuses on Jackson's 1818 invasion of Spanish Florida—the First Seminole War—and the immeasurable repercussions of that brief event. It demonstrates how this conflict shaped the course of American political history. In 1819, both the Monroe administration and Congress spent an inordinate amount of their time and energy investigating the episode, even to the detriment of several prominent political issues facing the country at the same time, such as the Missouri question. Arguments for and against Jackson's actions continued well into the next decade, going so far as to convince President Andrew Jackson to anoint Martin Van Buren, rather than John C. Calhoun, as his successor to lead the Democratic Party. Beyond any doubt, the controversy surrounding the First Seminole War contributed directly to altering permanently the political landscape in Antebellum America, as the face of the Democratic Party followed that of Martin Van Buren and not John C. Calhoun.Less
This chapter focuses on Jackson's 1818 invasion of Spanish Florida—the First Seminole War—and the immeasurable repercussions of that brief event. It demonstrates how this conflict shaped the course of American political history. In 1819, both the Monroe administration and Congress spent an inordinate amount of their time and energy investigating the episode, even to the detriment of several prominent political issues facing the country at the same time, such as the Missouri question. Arguments for and against Jackson's actions continued well into the next decade, going so far as to convince President Andrew Jackson to anoint Martin Van Buren, rather than John C. Calhoun, as his successor to lead the Democratic Party. Beyond any doubt, the controversy surrounding the First Seminole War contributed directly to altering permanently the political landscape in Antebellum America, as the face of the Democratic Party followed that of Martin Van Buren and not John C. Calhoun.
Douglas L. Kriner and Eric Schickler
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- January 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780691171852
- eISBN:
- 9781400883639
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691171852.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, American Politics
Although congressional investigations have provided some of the most dramatic moments in American political history, they have often been dismissed as mere political theater. But these investigations ...
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Although congressional investigations have provided some of the most dramatic moments in American political history, they have often been dismissed as mere political theater. But these investigations are far more than grandstanding. This book shows that congressional investigations are a powerful tool for members of Congress to counter presidential aggrandizement. By shining a light on alleged executive wrongdoing, investigations can exert significant pressure on the president and materially affect policy outcomes. This book constructs the most comprehensive overview of congressional investigative oversight to date, analyzing nearly 13,000 days of hearings, spanning more than a century, from 1898 through 2014. The book examines the forces driving investigative power over time and across chambers, and identifies how hearings might influence the president’s strategic calculations through the erosion of the president’s public approval rating, and uncover the pathways through which investigations have shaped public policy. Put simply, by bringing significant political pressure to bear on the president, investigations often afford Congress a blunt, but effective check on presidential power—without the need to worry about veto threats or other hurdles such as Senate filibusters. In an era of intense partisan polarization and institutional dysfunction, the book delves into the dynamics of congressional investigations and how Congress leverages this tool to counterbalance presidential power.Less
Although congressional investigations have provided some of the most dramatic moments in American political history, they have often been dismissed as mere political theater. But these investigations are far more than grandstanding. This book shows that congressional investigations are a powerful tool for members of Congress to counter presidential aggrandizement. By shining a light on alleged executive wrongdoing, investigations can exert significant pressure on the president and materially affect policy outcomes. This book constructs the most comprehensive overview of congressional investigative oversight to date, analyzing nearly 13,000 days of hearings, spanning more than a century, from 1898 through 2014. The book examines the forces driving investigative power over time and across chambers, and identifies how hearings might influence the president’s strategic calculations through the erosion of the president’s public approval rating, and uncover the pathways through which investigations have shaped public policy. Put simply, by bringing significant political pressure to bear on the president, investigations often afford Congress a blunt, but effective check on presidential power—without the need to worry about veto threats or other hurdles such as Senate filibusters. In an era of intense partisan polarization and institutional dysfunction, the book delves into the dynamics of congressional investigations and how Congress leverages this tool to counterbalance presidential power.
