Description
Book SynopsisDwight D. Eisenhower'' election to the presidency in 1952 brought an end to two decades of Democratic rule in the White House. His landslide victory, however, masked intense factionalism within the Republican Party. Whereas conservatives were eager to reverse the domestic and foreign policies of past administrations, liberal Republicans favored active federal involvement in Americans'' lives and an internationalist approach to affairs abroad. As political historian Steven Wagner demonstrates, Eisenhower sought a middle way between Democrats to his left and conservatives to his right.
In American political culture, those who describe themselves as middle of the road are often portrayed as unwilling to take a stand or lacking in political sophistication. This was not the case with Eisenhower, whose middle way was the result of careful consideration. Despite his party''s commitment to limited government, free enterprise, and individual initiative, Eisenhower believed that, in som
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Abbreviations
Introduction
1 A Floor over the Pit of Personal Disaster
2 Giving Labor an Equal Voice
3 A Program for All Farmers and for All America
4 Civil Rights, States' Rights, and Federal Responsibilities
5 Republican Internationalism
6 The Politics of Modern Republicanism
7 An Echo or a Choice?
Conclusion
Notes
Works Cited
Index
