Description
Book SynopsisHow did Republicans manage to hold the White House through much of the past half century even as the Democratic Party held the hearts of most American voters? This study develops and tests a general theory of cultural politics in the United States.
Trade ReviewWinner of the 2005 Best Book on Religion and Politics, Religion and Politics Section of the American Political Science Association "The Politics of Cultural Differences provides a compelling account of American electoral politics, and of presidential campaigns specifically, over the last four decades of the twentieth century."--Robert A. Jackson, Social Forces
Table of ContentsFigures and Tables ix Preface xi PART I: Cultural Theory and Recent American Politics Chapter One Anomalies of Post-New Deal Politics 3 Chapter Two The Political Mobilization of Cultural Differences 13 Chapter Three General Components of Cultural Theory in Political Conflict 39 Chapter Four Election Rituals, Ideological Movements, and Group Politics 56 Chapter Five Psychological Mechanisms and Campaign Strategies 83 PART II: Case Studies of the Political Mobilization of Cultural Differences Chapter Six Cultural Strains in the New Deal Coalition 101 Chapter Seven A Methodology for Assessing Cultural Politics 130 Chapter Eight Keeping America Purposeful, Powerful, and Pure 158 Chapter Nine Race and the Transformation of the Contemporary Party System 179 Chapter Ten Gender, Religion, and the Second Party Transformation 203 Chapter Eleven Cultural Politics: Some Conclusions and Practical Implications 252 References 271 Index 283
