| Contents |
Introduction: The evolution of conservatives' perception of Reagan -- The origins and evolution of Reagan's economic policies -- The battle for fiscal conservatism : supply-siders vs. budget hawks -- The origins of the New Right and the seeds of future frustration -- The battle for America's soul : conservative disillusion with Reagan on social issues -- AIDS, the New Rights, and Reagan's response -- Neoconservatives, the New Right, and Reagan's first two years of foreign policy -- The year of fear : Ronald Reagan and the transformation of America's foreign policy -- The battle for the Cold War : conservative frustration with the INF Treaty -- Recasting Reagan : how the fortieth president framed his legacy, 1989-1994 -- Remembering Reagan : the Reagan legacy in conservative politics, 1994-1996 -- Memorializing Reagan : enshrining the Reagan legacy -- Reinventing Reagan : George W. Bush and the emergence of the Reagan myth, 2000-2004 -- Reconstructing Reagan : how conservatives created a mythical Reagan, 2004-2008 -- Resurrecting Reagan : the Tea Party movement and the manifestation of the Reagan myth, 2008-2016 -- Conclusion: Beyond Reagan? |
| Abstract |
"Ronald Reagan has become synonymous with conservatism and continues to be lionized as the shining representative of the movement. But the fortieth president was no conservative ideologue. He had a complex relationship with American conservatives, and to many of his most ardent supporters he was not conservative enough. Critics complained during his time in office that he failed to bring about the promised Reagan Revolution, and in 1988 Republican presidential hopefuls ran to the right of his policies. Following Reagan's years in office, however, conservative assessments of his presidency quickly improved as subsequent presidents made comparatively fewer achievements. Over time a mythical version of Reagan as an ideological purist began to form in the minds of many conservatives, who forgot his pragmatic governing style and sought to use his legacy for their own political purposes. The mythical, dogmatic Reagan has played an important role in the conservative turn in the Republican Party over the last three decades, ultimately coming to an end with the election of Donald Trump. Getting Right with Reagan: The Struggle for True Conservatism, 1980-2016 seeks to uncover the real Reagan behind the myth and explain how the president has been misunderstood and misused by conservatives in the years since he was in office. Marcus M. Witcher argues that contemporary Republican politics and politicians are defined by their interpretation of Reagan. How conservatives remember the 1980s, and how they frame Reagan's legacy, has shaped the evolution of the GOP. The story of their interpretation of Reagan is also the story of the transformation of the Republican Party and the evolution of the conservative movement"-- Provided by publisher. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| Genre/form | History. |
| LCCN | 2019019363 |
| ISBN | 9780700628773 hardcover |
| ISBN | 0700628770 hardcover |
| ISBN | electronic book |
