Shattered Consensus: The Rise and Decline of America's Postwar Political Order by James Pierson may be one of the best books ever written on American political history.  It traces the evolution of both political parties from the aftermath of World War I to the present.  What is especially interesting is how, following the death of John F. Kennedy, the Democratic Party turned away from traditional liberalism, when Democrats still believed in American exceptionalism.  JFK would have been considered a raging conservative today, as he believed in lower taxes, a strong national defense, and the pre-eminence of the United States' place in the world as a force for good. Liberalism is no longer merely a philosophy of government, as it was during the Progressive Era, but rather an integral part of modern government itself, which is why it cannot be killed by its policy failures, lost arguments, or even lost elections. Democrats believed back then that...(Read Full Post)