Reform and Reaction by Michael Smith

Reform and Reaction by Michael Smith

Originating under the leadership of the late Burdett Loomis, Reform and Reaction tells the complex story of recent Kansas politics, beginning in the 1960s and concluding with the reversal of Governor Sam Brownback’s red-state policies in the 2016 and 2018 elections.

"Kansas political history has not been tidyIt has been uncertain, tense, confusing, and contradictory. Here is the story of how reforms of the 1960s gave way to the tensions of the twenty-first century. Reform and Reaction unpacks the old saying that ‘as goes Kansas, so goes the nation.’ Sometimes, Kansas defined the issues that defined a nation. Sometimes, it was more that Kansas adopted something because the nation had already accepted it. This book drills down beyond broad trends and blanket statements to explore the human and personal interactions that shaped the story of the Sunflower State over the past fifty years and will be an invaluable resource for those who wondered ‘how did we get here?’ . . . or perhaps more accurately, ‘what on earth happened?’"—Jay M. Price is a professor of history and director of the Local and Community History Program at Wichita State University

"Kansas is a ‘Red’ state, but its politics are more varied and elections more competitive, especially in gubernatorial races, than one might expect. Applying an effective ‘reform and reaction’ framework, Smith and Flentje explain the trajectory of politics in the Sunflower State since the 1960s. Highly recommended."—John Fliter, associate professor of political science at Kansas State University, and author of Child Labor in America: The Epic Legal Struggle to Protect Children

Michael A. Smith is professor of political science at Emporia State University and coauthor of Low Taxes and Small Government: Sam Brownback’s Great Experiment in Kansas.

H. Edward Flentje is professor emeritus at Wichita State University and coauthor of Kansas Politics and Government: The Clash of Political Cultures.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780700636624
ISBN 10	0700636625
Title	Reform and Reaction
Author	Michael Smith
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	University Press of Kansas
Year published	2024-07-12
Number of pages	256
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.