Partisans: The Conservative Revolutionaries Who Remade American Politics in the 1990s - Hardcover

by Nicole Hemmer (Author)

A bold new history of modern conservatism that finds its origins in the populist right-wing politics of the 1990s

Ronald Reagan has long been lionized for building a conservative coalition sustained by an optimistic vision of American exceptionalism, small government, and free markets. But as historian Nicole Hemmer reveals, the Reagan coalition was short-lived; it fell apart as soon as its charismatic leader left office. In the 1990s -- a decade that has yet to be recognized as the breeding ground for today's polarizing politics -- changing demographics and the emergence of a new political-entertainment media fueled the rise of combative far-right politicians and pundits. These partisans, from Pat Buchanan and Newt Gingrich to Rush Limbaugh and Laura Ingraham, forged a new American right that emphasized anti-globalism, appeals to white resentment, and skepticism about democracy itself.

Partisans is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the crisis of American politics today.

Author Biography

Nicole Hemmer is a political historian and founding director of the Carolyn T. and Robert M. Rogers Center for the Study of the Presidency at Vanderbilt University. The cofounder of Made by History, the historical analysis section of the Washington Post, she writes regularly for the New York Times, CNN, Vox, and Politico. She lives in Nashville.