The Democrats' Dilemma

By Steven Gillon,

Book cover of The Democrats' Dilemma: Walter F. Mondale and the Liberal Legacy

Book description

What does Walter Mondale's career reveal about the dilemma of the modern Democtratic party and the crisis of postwar American liberalism? Steven M. Gillon 's answer is that Mondale's frustration as Jimmy Carter's vice president and his failure to unseat the immensely popular President Reagan in 1984 reveal the beleaguered…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked The Democrats' Dilemma as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This book is interesting because it shows how a traditional New Deal/Great Society liberal like Vice President Mondale adapted to the changing politics of the 1970s and 1980s. 

To a certain extent, he saw how some Democratic policies needed to be reformed for the new circumstances of a more conservative era. During his 1984 run for the president, he famously proposed raising taxes to combat the Reagan-era deficits. 

Though this proposal is recalled as a misguided attempt to campaign as a conventional progressive, Mondale was trying to show that Democrats could be responsible fiscal stewards. Four years later, Dukakis continued…

If you love The Democrats' Dilemma...

Ad

Book cover of Grand Old Unraveling: The Republican Party, Donald Trump, and the Rise of Authoritarianism

Grand Old Unraveling By John Kenneth White,

It didn’t begin with Donald Trump. When the Republican Party lost five straight presidential elections during the 1930s and 1940s, three things happened: (1) Republicans came to believe that presidential elections are rigged; (2) Conspiracy theories arose and were believed; and (3) The presidency was elevated to cult-like status.

Long…

Want books like The Democrats' Dilemma?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Democrats' Dilemma.

Browse books like The Democrats' Dilemma

Book cover of Rule and Ruin: The Downfall of Moderation and the Destruction of the Republican Party, From Eisenhower to the Tea Party
Book cover of Don't Blame Us: Suburban Liberals and the Transformation of the Democratic Party
Book cover of Talk Radio's America: How an Industry Took Over a Political Party That Took Over the United States

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,584

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in liberalism, politics, and presidential biography?

Liberalism 44 books
Politics 771 books