Constant Conflict: Politics, Culture, And The Struggle For America's Future - Softcover

Shogan, Robert

Softcover

ISBN 10: 081334221X ISBN 13: 9780813342214

Publisher: Basic Books, 2004

Synopsis

America's culture war - which pits traditionalists, unrelenting defenders of the social orthodoxy, against modernists, agitators for social change - has simmered and seethed since the birth of the nation. But in the turbulent decade of the 1960s, the culture war erupted in the political arena, where it thunders on today. Constant Conflict examines how the evolution of cultural issues as political tools has rocked the balance of political power in America, and continues to do so. Through an expansive coverage of events - from Vietnam, Nixon, discrimination, abortion, economic imbalance, and morality in political behavior - Washington journalist Robert Shogan provides an objective and informed look at how Americans feel about themselves and their country in the first decade of the new millennium. Updates to the paperback show how the culture war has reached new heights in the Bush presidency, with the emphasis on Godliness and the divisiveness against the Axis of Evil. Shogan also discusses how the cultural conflicts will impact the 2004 campaign.

About this title

About the Author:

Robert Shogan has spent more than thirty years covering the political scene in Washington as national political correspondent for Newsweek and the Los Angeles Times. He is currently Adjunct Professor of Government at the Center for Study of American Government of Johns Hopkins University. He lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

From Publishers Weekly:

While a decisive, antagonistic split between the cultural left and right has been present in U.S. society for far longer than 30 years think, as Shogan notes, of the 1925 Scopes trial its decisive escalation since 1960 has lately made it a central aspect of national politics. This highly readable survey of the situation provides frequent insights into the ongoing war. Shogan, who spent 30 years covering Washington politics for Newsweek and the Los Angeles Times, is at his best when reminding us of the historical details we may have forgotten, ranging from the quirky (newly elected President Jimmy Carter urging federal employees: "those of you who are living in sin, I hope you'll get married") to the ironic (Pat Robertson, the son of a noted Democratic senator, was the head of an Adlai Stevenson for President Committee in 1956). Shogan is terrific when dealing with the details and the aftermath of a specific fight, such as Chicago mayor Richard Daley's order to "shoot to kill, shoot to maim" looters in 1968 or the defeat of Robert Bork's nomination to the Supreme Court. But often Shogan's broad sweep renders his material superficial. Taking on such central issues as the ERA, homosexuality, federal funding for church-based schools, and abortion, he charts how the culture wars have shifted over the years. Never driven by polemics or a strong point of view, this is an engaging overview of the past 30 years of political struggle.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Basic Books
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 081334221X
• ISBN 13: 9780813342214
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 372