The Transformation of American Politics: Activist Government and the Rise of Conservatism (Princeton Studies in American Politics: Historical, International, and Comparative Perspectives Book 122)

The contemporary American political landscape has been marked by two paradoxical transformations: the emergence after 1960 of an increasingly activist state, and the rise of an assertive and politically powerful conservatism that strongly opposes activist government. Leading young scholars take up these issues in __The Transformation of American Politics__. Arguing that even conservative administrations have become more deeply involved in managing our economy and social choices, they examine why our political system nevertheless has grown divided as never before over the extent to which government should involve itself in our lives. The contributors show how these two closely linked trends have influenced the reform and running of political institutions, patterns of civic engagement, and capacities for partisan mobilization--and fueled ever-heightening conflicts over the contours and reach of public policy. These transformations not only redefined who participates in American politics and how they do so, but altered the substance of political conflicts and the capacities of rival interests to succeed. Representing both an important analysis of American politics and an innovative contribution to the study of long-term political change, this pioneering volume reveals how partisan discourse and the relationship between citizens and their government have been redrawn and complicated by increased government programs. The contributors are Andrea Louise Campbell, Jacob S. Hacker, Nolan McCarty, Suzanne Mettler, Paul Pierson, Theda Skocpol, Mark A. Smith, Steven M. Teles, and Julian E. Zelizer. Contents Figures Tables Contributors Introduction Chapter One. American Politics in the Long Run PART ONE. The Shifting Political Landscape Chapter Two. The Rise and Reconfiguration of Activist Government Chapter Three. Government Activism and the Reorganization of American Civic Democracy Chapter Four. Parties, Electoral Participation, and Shifting Voting Blocs PART TWO. Conservatives on the Rise Chapter Five. Seizing Power Chapter Six. Economic Insecurity, Party Reputations, and the Republican Ascendance Chapter Seven. Conservative Mobilization against Entrenched Liberalism PART THREE. Policy and Politics in the New American Polity Chapter Eight. The Transformed Welfare State and the Redistribution of Political Voice Chapter Nine. The Policy Effects of Political Polarization Chapter Ten. Tax Politics and the Struggle over Activist Government Conclusion Chapter Eleven. Political Development and Contemporary American Politics References Index