Overview

Ronald Reagan's victorious presidential campaigns were notable for their attempts to broaden the Republican Party coalition by appealing to white evangelical Christians. White evangelicals historically had been less politically active and more Democratic than the rest of the population. Yet emerging cultural differences with the national Democratic party, and improved political organizations led by prominent television ministers, made white evangelicals likely coalition partners. Through interviews with participants and observers in these campaigns, this book explores the Republicans' coalition-building efforts. Voting data shows that the new coalition was successful in the short run, but the events of 1992 suggest its stability remains open to question.

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9780820421384

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This book paints a fine picture of white evangelicals and recent Republican presidents. Drawing on previously unpublished interviews, survey data, and the literature on the presidency, it provides a balanced account of one of the newest and most loyal Republican presidential voting blocks. (John C. Green, The University of Akron) Bruce Nesmith has written a good summary and analysis of the leading issues related to religion and politics in the 1980's. He includes a descriptive background for these years. (Merlin Gustafson, Kansas State University) A well-written account of the rise, and the reasons for the rise, of conservative, white evangelicals in American politics. President Bush's defeat means that the battle over the soul of the Republican party will become more important and Nesmith examines important players and issues in that battle. (John S. Shockley, Western Illinois University) ...a good, succinct introduction to modern coalition politics and religion. (Robert H. Krapohl, Journal of Church and State)

Author Information

The Author: Bruce Nesmith is an assistant professor of Political Science at Coe College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He has also taught at Western Illinois University and the University of Illinois, where he received his Ph.D. in 1987. He has reviewed books for American Political Science Review and Presidential Studies Quarterly, and is a past president of the Iowa Conference of Political Scientists.

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