The Liberal Hour : Washington and the Politics of Change in the 1960s

A vibrant, revelatory history of the liberal moment of the 60s, one which argues that Washington wasn't simply a target of reform but was actually the era's most effective engine of change. In many accounts of the 60s, Washington is portrayed as a target of reform: a reluctant group of politicians coaxed into accepting the radical spirit the day demanded. In this volume of the award-winning Penguin History of American Life, Mackenzie & Weisbrot argue that the most powerful agents of change in the 60s were those in the traditional seats of power, not the counterculture. A masterly new interpretation of this pivotal decade, The Liberal Hour explores the seismic shifts that led to an era when demands that had lingered on the political agenda for years entered the realm of possibility. By the time JFK was elected in '60, the political system that had prevailed for most of the century was based on crumbling economic, social & demographic realities. The growth of the suburbs shifted power out of the cities, rendering urban political machines & bosses increasingly irrelevant, which in turn allowed younger, more independent-minded politicians to rise. In Congress, Democrats retained their long held control, but the Southern wing of the party was losing its grip. Postwar prosperity led many to believe there was enough wealth to go around, an optimism that lent powerful support to antipoverty programs, not to mention civil rights. For once the Supreme Court, which has traditionally served dominant interests, was aligned with the progressive spirit of the age. The 60s represented a rare convergence: a public ready for change & a government ready to act. Liberal reform may have begun with JFK's New Frontier, but his assassination only gave emotional urgency to his agenda. His successor, LBJ, knew he had a window of opportunity before reactionary forces set in, an awareness that may have fostered his occasionally bullying tactics to push legislation thru Congress. The result was a burst in government initiatives--for civil rights, consumer protection, environmental reform etc--that hasn't been matched in American history. Ultimately the liberal hour promised too much, & couldn't afford both a costly & unpopular war abroad & a Great Society at home, but when it passed it left in its wake a vastly altered landscape. With elegant, accessible prose, The Liberal Hour casts one of the most dramatic periods in American history in new light, revealing that for all that has been written about the more attention-grabbing protest movements, the most powerful engine of change in that tumultuous decade was Washington itself. In most accounts of the 1960s, Washington is portrayedas a target of reform—a reluctant group of politicianscoaxed into accepting the radical spirit the day demanded. Inthe newest volume in the award-winning Penguin History ofAmerican Life, Calvin Mackenzie and Robert Weisbrot arguethat the most powerful agents of change in the 1960s were, infact, those in the traditional seats of power, not the counterculture. A masterly new interpretation of this pivotal decade, TheLiberal Hour explores the seismic shifts that led to an era whendemands that had lingered on the political agenda for yearsfinally entered the realm of possibility. By the time John F. Kennedy was elected in 1960,the political system that had prevailed for most of the centurywas based on crumbling economic, social, and demographicrealities. The growth of the suburbs meant power had shiftedout of the cities, rendering urban political machines and partybosses increasingly irrelevant, which in turn allowed younger,more independent-minded politicians to rise. In Congress,Democrats retained their long held control, but the Southernwing of the party was finally loosening its grip. Postwar prosperityled many Americans to believe there was enough wealthto go around, an optimism that lent powerful support to antipovertyprograms, not to mention civil rights. And for once theSupreme Court, which has traditionally served the country’sdominant interests, was aligned with the progressive spirit ofthe age. The 1960s all in all represented a rare convergence—apublic ready for change, and a government ready to act. Liberal reform may have begun with JFK’s NewFrontier, but his assassination only gave emotional urgency tohis agenda. His successor, Lyndon Johnson, knew he had a briefwindow of opportunity before the forces of reaction would setin, an awareness that may have fostered his occasionally bullyingtactics to push legislation through Congress. Still, the resultwas a burst in government initiatives—for civil rights, consumerprotection, and environmental reform, among others—thathas not been matched in American history. Ultimately, asour authors reveal, the liberal hour promised too much, andcouldn’t afford both a costly and unpopular war abroad and aGreat Society at home, but when it passed it left in its wake avastly altered American landscape. With elegant and accessible prose, The Liberal Hourcasts one of the most dramatic periods in American history ina new light, revealing that for all that has been written aboutthe more attention-grabbing protest movements, the mostpowerful engine of change in that tumultuous decade wasWashington itself. In most accounts of the 1960s, Washington is portrayed as a target of reform--a reluctant group of politicians coaxed into accepting the radical spirit the day demanded. In the newest volume in the award-winning Penguin History of American Life, Calvin Mackenzie and Robert Weisbrot argue that the most powerful agents of change in the 1960s were, in fact, those in the traditional seats of power, not the counterculture. A masterly new interpretation of this pivotal decade, The Liberal Hour explores the seismic shifts that led to an era when demands that had lingered on the political agenda for years finally entered the realm of possibility. By the time John F. Kennedy was elected in 1960, the political system that had prevailed for most of the century was based on crumbling economic, social, and demographic realities. The growth of the suburbs meant power had shifted out of the cities, rendering urban political machines and party bosses increasingly irrelevant, which in turn allowed younger, more independent-minded politicians to rise. In Congress, Democrats retained their long held control, but the Southern wing of the party was finally loosening its grip. Postwar prosperity led many Americans to believe there was enough wealth to go around, an optimism that lent powerful support to antipoverty programs, not to mention civil rights. And for once the Supreme Court, which has traditionally served the country's dominant interests, was aligned with the progressive spirit of the age. The 1960s all in all represented a rare convergence--a public ready for change, and a government ready to act. Liberal reform may have begun with JFK's New Frontier, but his assassination only gave emotional urgency to his agenda. His successor, Lyndon Johnson, knew he had a brief window of opportunity before the forces of reaction would set in, an awareness that may have fostered his occasionally bullying tactics to push legislation through Congress. Still, the result was a burst in government initiatives--for civil rights, consumer protection, and environmental reform, among others--that has not been matched in American history. Ultimately, as our authors reveal, the liberal hour promised too much, and couldn't afford both a costly and unpopular war abroad and a Great Society at home, but when it passed it left in its wake a vastly altered American landscape An engaging be hind-the-scenes look at the lesser-known forces that fueled the profound social reforms of the 1960s Provocative and incisive, The Liberal Hour reveals how Washington, so often portrayed as a target of reform in the 1960s, was in fact the era's most effective engine of change. The movements of the 1960s have always drawn the most attention from the decade's chroniclers, but it was in the halls of government-so often the target of protesters'wrath-that the enduring reforms of the era were produced. With nuance and panache, Calvin Mackenzie and Robert Weisbrot present the real-life characters-from giants like JFK and Johnson to lesser-known senators and congressmen-who drove these reforms and were critical to the passage of key legislation. The Liberal Hour offers an engrossing portrait of this extraordinary moment when more progressive legislation was passed than in almost any other era in American history. Contents Introduction 1 America in the Postwar Years 2 Politics and the Liberal Arc 3 The Federal Colossus 4 Free At Last 5 To Protect the Planet 6 The Hour of Maximum Danger 7 A TVA in the Mekong Valley 8 The End of the Liberal Hour Conclusion: The Durable Decade Acknowledgments Notes Index A history of the liberal movement in the 1960s argues that the government was largely responsible for many of the positive changes associated with the period, in an account that evaluates the cultural and political factors that enabled key reforms G. Calvin Mackenzie & Robert Weisbrot. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [380]-408) And Index.