Routledge Advances in American History Race and the Politics of Fear: A History of an American Oligarchic Construct, (Paperback)

<p><i>Race and the Politics of Fear</i> is a study of the role of race in American political history. It takes a novel approach by using Aristotle's theory of the mixed regime to analyze the American system. Aristotle's mixed regime - containing elements of oligarchy and democracy - was well-known to the Founders, who used it to design the Constitution. Accordingly, American political history has unfolded as a struggle between oligarchic and democratic forces. Oligarchs have frequently used race to divide the people and maintain power.</p><p>This book traces the oligarchic construction of race from its creation in the Colonial period and through a study of four major figures. James Madison helped formulate the Constitution to provide protection for the Southern oligarchies and was a founder of the Democratic-Republican party dominated by Southern interests. John C. Calhoun's theory of the concurrent majority provided a blueprint for the South's political strategy in the Jim Crow era. Ben Tillman redefined race primarily as a feeling as an excuse for the South's violent oppression of the black community. Ronald Reagan retooled the traditional racist myths and made them palatable to a national audience.</p><p>Readable yet extensively documented, it is appropriate for general audiences and scholars.</p>

• Routledge Advances in American History Race and the Politics of Fear: A History of an American Oligarchic Construct, (Paperback)
• Author: J Noel Hubler
• ISBN: 9781032968520
• Format: Paperback
• Publication Date: 2026-08-27
• Page Count: 390