Despite the fact that no mention of political parties can be found in the Constitution, bitter partisan divides have characterized U.S. politics since George Washington's administration.  In this episode Dr. Mitton first explores the unique qualities of the American political system that guarantee an acrimonious two-party system.  Then he guides us through the issues that divided the country and characterized the first partisan battles of the 1790s. -- Issues and principles which are remarkably similar to those we still fight about today.

2) Genesis of Partisan Politics in U.S.

American history is more than a collection of interesting stories, so why is it most often presented as such?  It matters why things happened in the order they did.  Join social historian Dr. Heath Mitton as he unpacks the story of the American Republic with special attention to how social and economic factors drove the politics of ideas, from the American Revolution through the presidency of Barack Obama.  These episodes originally aired as a regular segment on 610 KVNU's For The People radio program originating from Logan, UT throughout 2013.  Daily episodes of For The People may be downloaded separately.

History

Society & Culture

Dr. Mitton concludes this series with several questions:  Is the United States an Empire?  Is it is possible for a republican empire to be benevolent?  Finally, how do the decisions of average American consumers both demand and support global empire?

22) Pax Americana: Empire For Liberty?

How did the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty of 1967 lay the groundwork for the age of terrorism?  Dr. Mitton takes us right up to our own day in this episode.

21) The Age of Terror

What political & economic elements led to the Reagan Revolution?  Did Ronald Reagan win the Cold War?  And how conservative was Reagan really?  Dr. Mitton takes us through the recent past.

20) The Reagan Revolution

Taking lessons from Nixon and the concept of the Imperial Presidency, Dr. Mitton asks the question "Are the American people fit for world leadership?  And does the world need a leader at all?"

19) America & Global Leadership

Was the Civil Rights Era in the U.S. a response to the geopolitical forces of the Cold War?  Can the LBJ's Great Society be understood in the context of international affairs?  And how can we explain the evolution of the American political parties, and their reversal of historical positions in the middle of the Twentieth Century?

2) Genesis of Partisan Politics in U.S.

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