Talk Radio and the American Dream
Encyclopedia
Talk Radio and the American Dream was a 1986 book by Boston University political science professor Murray Levin
. Levin was one of the first political scientists to notice the significant role that talk radio
shows were playing in American politics. Rather than being a homeostatic device, talk radio shows were actually articulating the rage of the working class that, through the 1972 Presidential election
made up the New Deal coalition originally created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt
. By the late 1970s and early 1980s, this once reliable base of support for the Democratic Party
had skewed towards the right and represented a shift in political power that gave rise to Reaganism.
Murray Levin
Dr. Murray Burton Levin, Ph.D. was a political science professor at Boston University from 1955 through his retirement in 1989. A progressive who once had been a member of the Communist Party USA, Levin was an unreconstructed radical throughout his academic career...
. Levin was one of the first political scientists to notice the significant role that talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
shows were playing in American politics. Rather than being a homeostatic device, talk radio shows were actually articulating the rage of the working class that, through the 1972 Presidential election
United States presidential election, 1972
The United States presidential election of 1972 was the 47th quadrennial United States presidential election. It was held on November 7, 1972. The Democratic Party's nomination was eventually won by Senator George McGovern, who ran an anti-war campaign against incumbent Republican President Richard...
made up the New Deal coalition originally created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
. By the late 1970s and early 1980s, this once reliable base of support for the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
had skewed towards the right and represented a shift in political power that gave rise to Reaganism.