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When Movements Anchor Parties: Electoral Alignments in American History
Throughout American history, some social movements, such as organized labor and the Christian Right, have forged influential alliances with political parties, while others, such as the antiwar movement, have not. When Movements Anchor Parties provides a bold new interpretation of American electoral history by examining five prominent movements and their relationships with political parties.
Taking readers from the Civil War to today, Daniel Schlozman shows how two powerful alliances―those of organized labor and Democrats in the New Deal, and the Christian Right and Republicans since the 1970s―have defined the basic priorities of parties and shaped the available alternatives in national politics. He traces how they diverged sharply from three other major social movements that failed to establish a place inside political parties―the abolitionists following the Civil War, the Populists in the 1890s, and the antiwar movement in the 1960s and 1970s. Moving beyond a view of political parties simply as collections of groups vying for preeminence, Schlozman explores how would-be influencers gain influence―or do not. He reveals how movements join with parties only when the alliance is beneficial to parties, and how alliance exacts a high price from movements. Their sweeping visions give way to compromise and partial victories. Yet as Schlozman demonstrates, it is well worth paying the price as movements reorient parties' priorities.
Timely and compelling, When Movements Anchor Parties demonstrates how alliances have transformed American political parties.
Taking readers from the Civil War to today, Daniel Schlozman shows how two powerful alliances―those of organized labor and Democrats in the New Deal, and the Christian Right and Republicans since the 1970s―have defined the basic priorities of parties and shaped the available alternatives in national politics. He traces how they diverged sharply from three other major social movements that failed to establish a place inside political parties―the abolitionists following the Civil War, the Populists in the 1890s, and the antiwar movement in the 1960s and 1970s. Moving beyond a view of political parties simply as collections of groups vying for preeminence, Schlozman explores how would-be influencers gain influence―or do not. He reveals how movements join with parties only when the alliance is beneficial to parties, and how alliance exacts a high price from movements. Their sweeping visions give way to compromise and partial victories. Yet as Schlozman demonstrates, it is well worth paying the price as movements reorient parties' priorities.
Timely and compelling, When Movements Anchor Parties demonstrates how alliances have transformed American political parties.
288 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 19, 2024
Thought-provoking, carefully documented
Anyone active in a social movement advocating fundamental political change should read this book. His sobering analysis of past movements' successes and failures make clear that the current Occupy movement on university campuses will accomplish nothing, because it can't deliver votes or other assets to the Democratic Party and faces intense opposition from high-demand actors within the Party's existing coalition.
The political publicly stunts staged by the early Pro-Life Movement would have accomplished nothing without extensive under-the-radar grassroots organizing and political networking across two decades.
Graduate students researching social movements or US partisan politics will find the extensive notes a real treasure trove. The coverage of the labor movement is excellent. He has little new to say about Populism or Abolitionism. His discussion of the New Right was written before the emergence of Trump but truly anticipates Trump's ease in coopting the movement as well as DeSantis' focus on taking control of cultural production.
Anyone active in a social movement advocating fundamental political change should read this book. His sobering analysis of past movements' successes and failures make clear that the current Occupy movement on university campuses will accomplish nothing, because it can't deliver votes or other assets to the Democratic Party and faces intense opposition from high-demand actors within the Party's existing coalition.
The political publicly stunts staged by the early Pro-Life Movement would have accomplished nothing without extensive under-the-radar grassroots organizing and political networking across two decades.
Graduate students researching social movements or US partisan politics will find the extensive notes a real treasure trove. The coverage of the labor movement is excellent. He has little new to say about Populism or Abolitionism. His discussion of the New Right was written before the emergence of Trump but truly anticipates Trump's ease in coopting the movement as well as DeSantis' focus on taking control of cultural production.
February 6, 2022
This kind of political theory just feels so unhelpful to me. It's probably just that I'm interested in different questions, but I continually found myself wishing this book would take history more seriously and the individual experience of being passionately involved in a movement more seriously.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews