Resisting Reagan

“In this well-written, well-researched, and timely book, Joe J. Ryan-Hume documents the legislative successes that liberals had during the ‘Age of Reagan.’ He concludes that far from failing to meet the challenge of the 1980s, liberalism redefined itself and built coalitions that were essential to their electoral victories in the 1990s and 2000s. I highly recommend giving this important book a read.”—Marcus M. Witcher, author of Getting Right with Reagan: The Struggle for True Conservatism, 1980–2016

“Yes, the story of American politics during the 1980s is a story of partisan realignment and conservative ascendancy. But that is not the entire story, as Joe J. Ryan-Hume has now made clear. Using a refreshing blend of intellectual, institutional, social, and cultural histories, Ryan-Hume rethinks the meaning of political success through a non-traditional lens that prioritizes alternative power structures and activist voices frequently ignored in popular and scholarly understandings of the decade. In essence, he shows that liberals not only survived the Reagan years but, depending on how you define it, thrived. Without discounting conservatism’s growing popularity during these years, Ryan-Hume shows that liberalism remained viable, vibrant, and frequently victorious.”—Sean P. Cunningham, author of Bootstrap Liberalism: Texas Political Culture in the Age of FDR

“Joe Ryan-Hume offers a much-needed riposte to narratives that depict the 1980s as a decade when conservatism ran rampant while the Democratic Party and liberalism itself were moribund and marginalized. From the extension of the Voting Rights Act to the defeat of the Bork nomination, Ryan-Hume shows that liberal grassroots activists and congressional democrats were vigorous combatants in the political struggles of the 1980s. Forcefully argued and deeply researched, this book throws new light on the liberals who refused to yield to an ‘Age of Reagan.’”—Patrick Andelic, author of Donkey Work: Congressional Democrats in Conservative America, 1974–1994

“Deeply researched, forcefully argued, and full of judicious insights into the inner workings of American politics, Ryan-Hume’s book challenges the dominant view of the Reagan era. Highlighting the ways that liberals, even when outside traditional sources of power, built institutions, constructed coalitions, and collaborated with members of Congress, this important book makes clear that the triumphs of the Right took place against a backdrop where the achievements of liberalism still mattered.”—Bruce Schulman, coeditor of Media Nation: The Political History of News in Modern America