Blue-Collar Conservatism: Frank Rizzo's Philadelphia and Populist Politics

The book "Blue-Collar Conservatism" explores the rise of blue-collar white ethnics in postwar US politics, challenging the backlash narrative and highlighting the importance of class identity and cultural ideas of privilege, disadvantage, identity, and entitlement in driving their political engagement.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 328 pages
Publication date: 07 May 2021
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press

The postwar United States has witnessed a diverse range of populist politics, with none more significant than the rise of blue-collar white ethnics, who have brought figures like Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump to the White House. This form of populism, often caricatured and misunderstood, deserves closer examination. Blue-Collar Conservatism provides a comprehensive account of the emergence of this variant of populism by delving into the supporters of Philadelphia Mayor Frank Rizzo. In 1971, Rizzo made history by becoming the first former police commissioner to be elected mayor of a major American city. Despite his affiliation with the Democratic Party, Rizzo garnered support by advocating for law and order and opposing policies such as public housing, school busing, affirmative action, and other measures perceived as providing unearned advantages to nonwhites. This engagement with the complex politics of law enforcement, school desegregation, equal employment, and urban housing gave rise to blue-collar populism, as argued by Timothy J. Lombardo in his book.

Drawing on extensive archival research and a focus on interconnected changes to urban space and blue-collar culture, Blue-Collar Conservatism challenges the conventional narrative of backlash against blue-collar politics. Lombardo, a historian and native of Philadelphia, demonstrates how blue-collar whites did not abandon welfare liberalism wholesale but selectively rejected liberal policies based on culturally defined notions of privilege, disadvantage, identity, and entitlement. While grounding his analysis in the racial fissures of the postwar era, Lombardo also emphasizes the importance of class identity as a driving force behind blue-collar political engagement.

Through its detailed examination of the supporters of Frank Rizzo and the broader context of postwar urban and economic crises, Blue-Collar Conservatism offers a fresh perspective on the rise of blue-collar populism. It sheds light on the complex factors that shaped this political movement and its impact on American society. By challenging stereotypes and providing a nuanced understanding of blue-collar politics, this book contributes to our understanding of the political landscape in the United States and beyond.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780812224832