The Politicians and the Egalitarians
The Hidden History of American Politics
12 May 2017
Description
An eminent historian reminds us of the commanding role party politics has played in America’s enduring struggle against economic inequality.
Sean Wilentz presents two key insights that reveal a much-needed vision of American political history. Firstly, partisanship has almost always been a feature of American history and has made possible its greatest social reforms. Secondly, the recent attention to economic inequality has a long history. From the founders’ generation to the present, America’s egalitarian tradition has appeared and reappeared like an underground river.
Reviews
"Wilentz sets forth a provocative idea that may provide vital perspective to the politics of this very year." — The Boston Globe
"A shrewd and engaging assessment of the variable American tradition of egalitarianism... scrupulously detailed, elegantly written, incisively argued, and effectively combative." — Philip Roth
Also By: Sean Wilentz 
The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln
Abridged College Edition, Paperback, 2009
Winner of the Bancroft Award: "Monumental…a tour de force…awesome in its coverage of political events."—Gordon Wood, New York Times Book Review
The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln
Paperback, 2007
Winner of the Bancroft Award: "Monumental…a tour de force…awesome in its coverage of political events."—Gordon Wood, New York Times Book Review
The Rose & the Briar: Death, Love and Liberty in the American Ballad
Paperback, 2006
A devastatingly original work that plunges into the emotional heart of the American psyche.
