ABSTRACT

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides an account of a conservative shift among political elites-in particular, presidential candidates and party leaders. It describes changes in the rhetoric of both Democratic and Republican presidential candidates since 1960: the embracing of both conservative language and goals. The book analyzes survey data since the 1960s to monitor changes in political preferences among white Americans on the major issue dimensions that have pitted liberals against conservatives over the last three decades: the role of government; social welfare policies; racial policies; and social issues. It examines citizen likes and dislikes of the parties, affect for the parties, perceived competence of the parties on the nation's most important problems, and party identification. Americans may also have grown more conservative in the way they evaluate the political parties.