Why read Blue-Collar Conservatism?

Book cover of Blue-Collar Conservatism: Frank Rizzo's Philadelphia and Populist Politics

Book description

The postwar United States has experienced many forms of populist politics, none more consequential than that of the blue-collar white ethnics who brought figures like Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump to the White House. Blue-Collar Conservatism traces the rise of this little-understood, easily caricatured variant of populism by presenting a…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Blue-Collar Conservatism as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Kyle Burke

Author

As the modern conservative movement gained ground, many working-class white, ethnic voters, especially in struggling Northern and Midwestern cities joined its ranks, even as they continued to vote for Democrats in local elections. Blue-Collar Conservatism explores how that happened by focusing on the divisive tenure of Philadelphia mayor Frank Rizzo.

Elected as a Democrat in 1971, Rizzo was the first former police commissioner to serve as Philly's mayor, and he gained election by harping on “law and order” issues and opposing civil rights reforms in schools, housing, and workplaces, harnessing white claims that such policies were unearned and unfair. In…

From Kyle's list on The best books on the history of American conservatism.