The Myth of Left and Right - How the Political Spectrum Misleads and Harms America (Hardcover)

A groundbreaking argument that the political spectrum today is inadequate to twenty-first century America and a major source of the confusion and hostility that characterize contemporary political discourse. As American politics descends into a battle of anger and hostility between two groups called "left" and "right," people increasingly ask: What is the essential difference between these two ideological groups? In The Myth of Left and Right, Hyrum Lewis and Verlan Lewis provide the surprising answer: nothing. As the authors argue, there is no enduring philosophy, disposition, or essence uniting the various positions associated with the liberal and conservative ideologies of today. Far from being an eternal dividing line of American politics, the political spectrum came to the United States in the 1920s and, since then, left and right have evolved in so many unpredictable and even contradictory ways that there is currently nothing other than tribal loyalty holding together the many disparate positions that fly under the banners of "liberal" and "conservative." Powerfully argued and cutting against the grain of most scholarship on polarization in America, this book shows why the idea that the political spectrum measures deeply held worldviews is the central political myth of our time and a major cause of the confusion and vitriol that characterize public discourse.

General

Imprint:	Oxford UniversityPress
Country of origin:	United States
Series:	STUDIES IN POSTWAR AMERICAN POLITCAL
Release date:	February 2023
Authors:	Verlan Lewis (Visiting scholar in the Center for American Political Studies) • Hyrum Lewis (Associate Professor of History)
Dimensions:	235 x 156 x 15mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Hardcover
Pages:	168
ISBN-13:	978-0-19-768021-6
Categories:	Books > Reference & Interdisciplinary > Interdisciplinary studies > Development studies Books > Social sciences > Politics & government > Comparative politics Books > Humanities > Philosophy > Topics in philosophy > Social & political philosophy Books > Social sciences > Politics & government > Political structure & processes > Elections & referenda Books > Philosophy > Topics in philosophy > Social & political philosophy Promotions
LSN:	0-19-768021-6
Barcode:	9780197680216

Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate? Let us know about it.

Does this product have an incorrect or missing image? Send us a new image.

Is this product missing categories? Add more categories.

Review This Product

No reviews yet - be the first to create one!