Reviews

The Politicians and the Egalitarians: The Hidden History of American Politics by Sean Wilentz

aloyokon's review against another edition

3.0

A book with a compelling premise: progressive change occurs when effective politicians and egalitarian activists join forces towards achieving a common end. Wilentz gives examples from such episodes as the fight against slavery, the Progressive Era, Civil Rights, and the New Deal. Along the way, the author (sort of) redeems Thomas Jefferson and his Democratic-Republican Party and defends Harry Truman's foreign policy from the charges made by the hard left.