The Republican Evolution: From Governing Party to Antigovernment Party, 1860-2020

Kenneth Janda sheds new light on the Republican Party’s transformations, drawing on a wide range of quantitative and qualitative evidence. He examines nearly three thousand planks from every Republican platform since 1856 as well as candidate statements and historical sources.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 344 pages
Publication date: 29 November 2022
Publisher: Columbia University Press

The Republican Party, founded in 1854 with the explicit purpose of opposing slavery and its expansion into new territories and states, has undergone a significant transformation over the past century and a half. Today, under the leadership of Donald Trump, the party has become scarcely recognizable as the party of Abraham Lincoln or Dwight Eisenhower. In order to understand the reasons behind this drastic shift, Kenneth Janda has conducted a comprehensive analysis of nearly three thousand planks from every Republican platform since 1856, as well as candidate statements and historical sources.

Janda's research reveals that the Republican Party has undergone three distinct phases throughout its history. In the early years, the party emphasized national authority and economic development, advocating for policies such as infrastructure investment and protectionist trade policies. However, by the late 1920s, a significant shift occurred, with Republicans downplaying the role of government in favor of a new philosophy steeped in free markets.

The nomination of Barry Goldwater in 1964 marked a pivotal moment in the party's evolution. Goldwater's conservative platform, which emphasized states' rights and opposition to civil rights, resonated with a growing segment of the Republican base. Since then, the party has continued to endorse states' rights, oppose civil rights, and become increasingly ethnocentric.

The Republican Evolution is a richly documented book that offers a new perspective on how the GOP became an antigovernment party. Janda's analysis is supported by scores of figures and tables that provide concrete evidence of the party's shifting positions on various issues. The book also raises important questions about the party's future and whether it is capable of stepping back from the brink of authoritarianism.

In conclusion, The Republican Evolution is a valuable contribution to the study of political history and offers a timely analysis of the party's transformations. Janda's research provides a clear and comprehensive account of how the Republican Party has evolved over the past century and a half, and it raises important questions about the party's future and the direction it should take.

Weight: 544g
Dimension: 153 x 228 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780231207898