America's Three Regimes : A New Political History

When historians take the long view, they look at "ages" or "eras" (the Age of Jackson, the Progressive Era). But these time spans last no longer than a decade or so. In this groundbreaking new book, Morton Keller divides our nation's history into three regimes, each of which lasts many, many decades, allowing us to appreciate, as never before, the slow steady evolution of American public life. Americans like to think of our society as eternally young and effervescent. But the reality is very different. A proper history of America must be as much about continuity, persistence, and evolution as about transformation and revolution. To provide this proper history, Keller groups America's past into three long regimes--Deferential and Republican, from the colonial period to the 1820s; Party and Democratic, from the 1830s to the 1930s; and Populist and Bureaucratic, from the 1930s to the present. This approach yields many new insights. We discover, for instance, that the history of colonial America, the Revolution, and the Early Republic is a more unified story than usually assumed. The Civil War, industrialization, and the Progressive era did relatively little to alter the character of the democratic-party regime that lasted from the 1830s to the 1930s. And the populist-bureaucratic regime in which we live today has seen changes in politics, government, and law as profound as those that occurred in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. As Keller underscores the sheer staying power of America's public institutions, he sheds light on current concerns as well: in particular, will the current political polarization continue or will more moderate forces prevail. Here then is a major contribution to United States history--an entirely new way to look at our past, our present, and our future--packed with provocative and original observations about American public life When historians take the long view, they look at "ages" or "eras" (the Age of Jackson, the Progressive Era). But these time spans last no longer than a decade or so. In this book, Morton Keller divides our nation's history into three regimes, each of which lasts many, many decades, allowing us to appreciate the slow steady evolution of American public life. Americans like to think of our society as eternally young and effervescent. But the reality is very different. A proper history of America must be as much about continuity, persistence, and evolution as about transformation and revolution. To provide this history, Keller groups America's past into three long regimes--Deferential and Republican, from the colonial period to the 1820s; Party and Democratic, from the 1830s to the 1930s; and Populist and Bureaucratic, from the 1930s to the present. This approach yields many new insights. We discover, for instance, that the history of colonial America, the Revolution, and the Early Republic is a more unified story than usually assumed. The Civil War, industrialization, and the Progressive era did relatively little to alter the character of the democratic-party regime that lasted from the 1830s to the 1930s. And the populist-bureaucratic regime in which we live today has seen changes in politics, government, and law as profound as those that occurred in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. As Keller underscores the sheer staying power of America's public institutions, he sheds light on current concerns as well: in particular, will the current political polarization continue or will more moderate forces prevail. --From publisher's description

Hailed in The New York Times Book Review as the single best book written in recent years on the sweep of American political history, this groundbreaking work divides our nation's history into three regimes, each of which lasts many, many decades, allowing us to appreciate as never before the slow steady evolution of American politics, government, and law. The three regimes, which mark longer periods of continuity than traditional eras reflect, are Deferential and Republican, from the colonial period to the 1820s; Party and Democratic, from the 1830s to the 1930s; and Populist and Bureaucratic, from the 1930s to the present. Praised by The Economist as a feast to enjoy and by Foreign Affairs as a masterful and fresh account of U.S. politics, here is a major contribution to the history of the United States--an entirely new way to look at our past, our present, and our future--packed with provocative and original observations about American public life.

The New York Times - Fred Siegel

Academic historians like Keller—a Brandeis professor emeritus—are often said to be incapable of writing the kind of lively, engaging accounts the public yearns for. But Keller…has put together one of the most engaging and accessible portraits of America's political evolution of recent years. He leavens his discussion with lively quotations and a sprinkling of apt statistics…if I were asked to name the single best book written in recent years on the sweep of American political history, I'd answer America's Three Regimes.

MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict Contents 8 Acknowledgments 10 Introduction: The American Polity and Its Regimes 14 PART ONE: THE DEFERENTIAL-REPUBLICAN REGIME 20 ONE: Old Ways and New 24 TWO: The Republican Revolution 36 THREE: From Factions to Parties 55 PART TWO: THE PARTY-DEMOCRATIC REGIME: The Democratic Polity 80 FOUR: The Culture of Democratic Party Politics 84 FIVE: Governing a Democratic Polity 101 SIX: Crisis 118 PART THREE: THE PARTY-DEMOCRATIC REGIME: The Industrial Polity 146 SEVEN: The Age of the Politicos 148 EIGHT: A State of Parties and Courts 164 NINE: The Progressive Interlude 187 PART FOUR: THE POPULIST-BUREAUCRATIC REGIME 214 TEN: The Rise of the Populist-Bureaucratic Regime 220 ELEVEN: Bureaucracy and Democracy 244 TWELVE: Populism and Party 272 Epilogue: Today and Tomorrow 294 Notes 314 Index 334 A 334 B 335 C 336 D 337 E 338 F 338 G 339 H 340 I 340 J 340 K 341 L 341 M 342 N 343 O 343 P 344 Q 345 R 345 S 346 T 347 U 347 V 348 W 348 Y 349 Z 349 Hailed in The New York Times Book Review as ""the single best book written in recent years on the sweep of American political history, "" this groundbreaking work divides our nation's history into three ""regimes, "" each of which lasts many, many decades, allowing us to appreciate as never before the slow steady evolution of American politics, government, and law. The book makes a major contribution to the history of the United States--an entirely new way to look at our past, our present, and our future--packed with provocative and original observations Introduction: The American polity and its regimes The deferential-Republican regime Old ways and new The Republican revolution From factions to parties The party-Democratic regime : the Democratic polity The culture of party politics Governing a democratic polity Crisis The party-Democratic regime : the industrial polity The age of the politicos A state of parties and courts The progressive interlude The bureaucratic-populist regime The rise of the bureaucratic-populist regime Bureaucracy and democracy Populism and party Conclusion: Today and tomorrow. In This Groundbreaking New Book, Keller Divides The Nations History Into Three Regimes, Allowing Readers To Appreciate The Slow, Steady Evolution Of American Public Life. This Approach Presents An Entirely New Way To Look At Americas Past, Present, And Future.