Polarization and the Presidency: From FDR to Barack Obama

Robert Smith and Richard Seltzer offer fresh insights on the decisive, and often surprising, role of presidents and presidential candidates in polarizing US politics. In a rich, multidimensional narrative, the authors show how presidential rhetoric and policies have served to divide voters along lines of class, party, race, and region. They also underscore the enduring consequences of George Wallace’s, Barry Goldwater’s, and George McGovern’s failed presidential campaigns. Moving beyond the guns, God, and gays conventional wisdom, their distinctive contribution leads to an enhanced understanding of the political attitudes that have shaped today’s polarized polity.