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The Right-Wing Idea Factory: From Traditionalism to Trumpism
Author(s): Donald F. Kettl (Author)
- Publisher: Oxford University Press
- Publication Date: May 4, 2026
- Language: English
- Print length: 248 pages
- ISBN-10: 0197778291
- ISBN-13: 9780197778296
Book Description
While Donald Trump’s 2024 re-election was hailed by many as a personal triumph, political scientist Donald F. Kettl argues it marked the apex of a movement that began long before Trump entered politics–and one that will continue to shape the American landscape long after he’s gone.
In
The Right-Wing Idea Factory, Kettl traces the rise of a revolutionary political force that has redefined the American right. Fueled by soft money and amplified by social media, a network of determined activists and organizations worked to dismantle traditional free-market conservatism and replace it with a populist agenda rooted in cultural and social issues. From abortion and gender to critical race theory, book bans, immigration, and the “deep state,” this movement built a powerful new political base–one designed not just to win elections, but to reshape the rules of governance for generations.Kettl reveals how this idea factory has profoundly influenced policy at every level of government, driving polarization and upending long-standing political norms. With sharp insight and deep research, he offers a vital account of how the American right has evolved–and what that means for the future of democracy.
Editorial Reviews
Review
“Don Kettl has written a comprehensive guide to the way that money and opportunity produced a flood of ideas that supported Donald Trump’s conquest of the presidency. It is an invaluable resource for understanding our current political predicament.” — Francis Fukuyama, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University
“People want to know how America has reached its present crisis. Don Kettl rises above the partisan noise with a thoughtful, historical analysis of how modern conservatism mutated into a threat to American democracy, making it an indispensable book for anyone who wants to understand the new rightists of the twenty-first century.” — Tom Nichols, Staff writer at The Atlantic and author of The Death of Expertise
“The existential threat to our democracy did not start with Donald Trump, and it will not end when he leaves the scene. In a masterful book blending history, philosophy, and deep analysis, Don Kettl gives us the roadmap that got us here, the rise and expansion of the right-wing idea factory. If you care about the future of our constitutional system, this book is essential reading.” — Norman Ornstein, American Enterprise Institute, and co-author of It’s Even Worse Than It Looks
