The Social Roots of American Politics: A Widening Gyre?

The Social Roots of American Politics by Regina L. Wagner and Byron E. Shafer examines the social roots of American political conflict, showing how class, race, religion, and gender shape policy preferences and regional differences affect partisan attachment. It provides a novel and powerful explanation of the basic forces that shape conflict in American politics.

Format: Hardback
Length: 192 pages
Publication date: 06 July 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

The conventional method of analyzing political conflict typically begins by examining policy disputes within the government, subsequently tracing them back to political parties and organized interests. However, in The Social Roots of American Politics, Regina L. Wagner and Byron E. Shafer take a different approach by delving into the social origins of American political conflict. They explore how these roots generate diverse policy preferences among the general public and subsequently influence the policies adopted by the American government. Drawing upon a wealth of data from public surveys of American voters spanning over half a century, they compellingly demonstrate that class, race, religion, and gender serve as the fundamental drivers of these conflicts across the four primary domains of policy contention: social welfare, civil rights, foreign affairs, and cultural values. Furthermore, they consider the impact of regional differences on partisan attachment, with a particular focus on the South. By shifting the focus to deep-seated social divisions, this book offers a novel and insightful explanation of the underlying forces that shape the contours of conflict in American politics.

The conventional method of analyzing political conflict typically begins by examining policy disputes within the government, subsequently tracing them back to political parties and organized interests. However, in The Social Roots of American Politics, Regina L. Wagner and Byron E. Shafer take a different approach by delving into the social origins of American political conflict. They explore how these roots generate diverse policy preferences among the general public and subsequently influence the policies adopted by the American government. Drawing upon a wealth of data from public surveys of American voters spanning over half a century, they compellingly demonstrate that class, race, religion, and gender serve as the fundamental drivers of these conflicts across the four primary domains of policy contention: social welfare, civil rights, foreign affairs, and cultural values. Furthermore, they consider the impact of regional differences on partisan attachment, with a particular focus on the South. By shifting the focus to deep-seated social divisions, this book offers a novel and insightful explanation of the underlying forces that shape the contours of conflict in American politics.

Dimension: 235 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780197650844