Illinois: Moral Politics in a Materialist Political Culture
Editors
John C. Green; Mark J. Rozell; Clyde Wilcox
Document Type
Chapter
Publication Date
4-2000
Publisher
Georgetown University Press
First page number:
243
Last page number:
256
Abstract
In the wake of the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, the Christian Right expected major victories in the 1998 elections. Instead, many of its allies lost close contests, and the movement was seen as a liability in some high-profile campaigns. In the only in-depth study of the Christian Right's role in these races, leading scholars analyze the role of the movement in fourteen key states, from Maine to California, and address speculations that the movement is fading from the American political scene.
The book focuses on elections on the state and local levels, where the Christian Right is most influential, and it describes the movement's niche in some detail. Although each campaign described in the book had its unique characteristics, the editors have drawn some broad conclusions about the 1998 elections. While the movement was weak in the areas of candidate recruitment and fundraising, they say, the outcome may have also been related to external factors including a broader turnout of typically Democratic constituencies and the country's boredom with the scandal that conservatives had made the centerpiece of their campaign. Despite the setbacks of 1998, the contributors argue, the Christian Right continues to have an enormous influence on the political dialogue of the country.
Written from an unbiased, nonpartisan perspective, this volume sheds light on a topic that is too frequently mired in controversy.
Disciplines
American Politics | Political Science | Religion
Language
English
Repository Citation
Jelen, T. G.
(2000).
Illinois: Moral Politics in a Materialist Political Culture. In John C. Green; Mark J. Rozell; Clyde Wilcox,
243-256.
Georgetown University Press.
COinS