The Political Blame Game in American Democracy

By (author) Mark Hickson III, Larry Powell

Not available to order

Publication date:

06 October 2017

Length of book:

174 pages

Publisher

Lexington Books

ISBN-13: 9781498545464

They Started It! looks at the forces that have developed over the past 50-plus years and created a dysfunctional political system in the United States. It argues that the current level of partisan polarization is actually the culmination of a number of forces at work during the past few decades. These include a perception by each party that the other is using unfair political tactics, the subsequent creation of a culture of blame with each party blaming the other for the dysfunction, a decline in political norms leading to childlike behavior by politicians and political candidates, and a culture of payback in which the opposition argue their opponents are responsible for the decline. These four factors culminated in the 2016 presidential campaign, where they were exemplified by the campaign of Donald Trump, and they have continued to have a significant ongoing impact on the political landscape of the United States.

Contents

Preface
Chapter 1: In the Beginning
Chapter 2: 1960: Kennedy v. Nixon
Chapter 3: 1964: Goldwater and the Solid South
Chapter 4: 1968: The Rise and Fall of Republican Conservatism, Part I
Chapter 5: 1972: Nixon and the Plumbers
Chapter 6: 1980: Reagan and the Southern Strategy (Once Again)
Chapter 7: 1992: Bill Clinton and Republican Hatred
Chapter 8: 2000: Bush, Gore, and Florida
Chapter 9: 2008: Obama, Hope, and Reform
Chapter 10: The 2010 Congressional Elections
Chapter 11: 2012: Obama v. Romney
Chapter 12: 2014: Republicans Take the Senate
Chapter 13: 2016 Election
Chapter 14: The American Experiment
About the Authors

This book is a captivating journey into American politics focused on the people, events, and policies that gave rise to the adversarial and often malicious infighting that dominates today’s political landscape.