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University of California Press

About the Book

In this timely book, Jerome Himmelstein offers a new interpretation of the growth of conservatism in American politics. Tracing the New Right of the 1970s and 1980s back to the Old Right of the 1950s, Himmelstein provides an interpretive map of the political landscape over the past decades, showing how conservatives ascended to power by reconstructing their ideology and building an independent movement.


In this timely book, Jerome Himmelstein offers a new interpretation of the growth of conservatism in American politics. Tracing the New Right of the 1970s and 1980s back to the Old Right of the 1950s, Himmelstein provides an interpretive map of the politi

About the Author

Jerome L. Himmelstein is Associate Professor of Sociology at Amherst College.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments 
Introduction: Sociology, Social Commentary, and the Rise of the Right 

Part One: Becoming a Contender
1. Historical Prologue: Revolution and Delayed Reaction 
2. Reconstructing an Ideology 
3. The Growth of a Movement: Old Right and New

Part Two: Taking Power
4. The Rise of the New Religious Right 
5. The Mobilization of Corporate Conservatism 
6. The New Republican Edge: Gains without Realignment 
Epilogue: American Conservatism in the Bush Years 

Notes 
Bibliography 
Index