Authoritarianism and Class in American Political Fiction : Elite Pluralism and Political Bosses in Three Post-War Novels

This book analyzes what many critics consider to be the three best examples of modern American political fiction—Robert Penn Warren’s All the King’s Men , Edwin O’Connor’s The Last Hurrah , and Billy Lee Brammer’s The Gay Place —to address a specific problem in American governance: how the intense competition for power among elite factions often results in their ignoring major groups of their constituents, thereby providing political bosses with a rationale to seize authoritarian control of the government in the name of constituent groups who feel ignored or neglected, promising them more democratic rule, but in the process, excluding other groups, so that the bosses themselves become elitist, ruling only for the sake of some constituents and not others. This book analyzes what many critics consider to be the three best examples of modern American political fiction—Robert Penn Warren’s All the King’s Men, Edwin O’Connor’s The Last Hurrah, and Billy Lee Brammer’s The Gay Place—to address a specific problem in American governance. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Series Page 3 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Table of Contents 6 Introduction 8 Notes 15 Bibliography 15 Chapter 1: Class, Elite Pluralism, and Political Bosses 17 A Brief History of the Concept of Pluralism in Political Science 18 Elite Pluralism 20 The Dahl–Domhoff Debate about the Nature of Elite Rule 22 Overview 22 Dahl's Pluralist View 23 Dahl on Political Decision-Making in New Haven in the 1950s 26 Domhoff’s Response to Dahl: Elites as a Network of Influence 30 Ruling-Class Consciousness 34 William Connolly’s Concept of Pluralism 37 The Nature of “Ruling-Class Consciousness” in Ruling Elites and Political Bosses 39 Conclusion 42 Notes 42 Bibliography 42 Part I 46 Chapter 2: Robert Penn Warren and Huey Long’s Louisiana: 1928–32 48 Warren’s Connection to Huey Long 62 Huey Long as a Source for Willie Stark 65 Notes 74 Bibliography 74 Chapter 3: A Class Analysis of All the King’s Men 76 The Norms and Conventions of Elite Rule 84 Stark’s Rise and Shift from Working-Class to Ruling-Class Consciousness 88 Evaluating the Politics of Elite Rule and a Populist Boss 93 Note 100 Bibliography 100 Part II 102 Chapter 4: Edwin O’Connor and James Michael Curley’s Boston: 1914–50 104 City Bosses and the Elite Establishment in Boston 1914-1950 121 James Michael Curley as a City Boss 124 James Michael Curley as the Model for Frank Skeffington 125 Notes 131 Bibliography 131 Chapter 5: A Class Analysis of The Last Hurrah 133 Note 149 Bibliography 149 Part III 150 Chapter 6: Billy Lee Brammer and Lyndon Johnson’s Texas in the 1950s 152 The Gay Place as a Roman a Clef 170 Notes 175 Bibliography 175 Chapter 7: A Class Analysis of The Gay Place 177 Fenstemaker as a Political Boss 178 The Novel as a Critique of Both the Liberal Elite and Fenstemaker 182 “The Flea Circus” 182 “Room Enough to Caper” 188 “Country Pleasures” 195 Note 201 Bibliography 201 Conclusion 202 Giving Greater Influence in the Electoral Process to Ignored Constituents 203 Granting Ignored Constituents a Role in How Policy Is Crafted, Implemented, and Monitored 204 Limiting the Power of Elected Officials over Cabinets and Bureaucracies 206 Notes 208 Bibliography 208 Index 209 Authoritarianism;,Billy,Lee,Brammer’s,The,Gay,Place;,class,analysis;,Edwin,O’Connor’s,The,Last,Hurrah;,elite,pluralism;,Huey,Long’s,Louisiana;,James,Michael,Curley’s,Boston;,Lyndon,Johnson’s,Texas;,political,bosses;,Robert,Penn,Warren’s,All,the,King’s,Men Authoritarianism,Billy Lee Brammer’s The Gay Place,class analysis,Edwin O’Connor’s The Last Hurrah,elite pluralism,Huey Long’s Louisiana,James Michael Curley’s Boston,Lyndon Johnson’s Texas,political bosses,Robert Penn Warren’s All the King’s Men "This book analyzes what many critics consider to be the three best examples of modern American political fiction-Robert Penn Warren's All the King's Men, Edwin O'Connor's The Last Hurrah, and Billy Lee Brammer's The Gay Place-to address a specific problem in American governance: how the intense competition for power among elite factions often results in their ignoring major groups of their constituents, thereby providing political bosses with a rationale to seize authoritarian control of the government in the name of constituent groups who feel ignored or neglected, promising them more democratic rule, but in the process, excluding other groups, so that the bosses themselves become elitist, ruling only for the sake of some constituents and not others"-- Provided by publisher This book analyzes what many critics consider to be the three best examples of modern American political fiction—Robert Penn Warren’s __All the King’s Men__, Edwin O’Connor’s __The Last Hurrah__, and Billy Lee Brammer’s __The Gay Place__—to address a specific problem in American governance: how the intense competition for power among elite factions often results in their ignoring major groups of their constituents, thereby providing political bosses with a rationale to seize authoritarian control of the government in the name of constituent groups who feel ignored or neglected, promising them more democratic rule, but in the process, excluding other groups, so that the bosses themselves become elitist, ruling only for the sake of some constituents and not others.