Debating the American Conservative Movement chronicles one of the most dramatic stories of modern American political history. The authors describe how a small band of conservatives in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War launched a revolution that shifted American politics to the right, challenged the New Deal order, transformed the Republican party into a voice of conservatism, and set the terms of debate in American politics as the country entered the new millennium. Historians Donald T. Critchlow and Nancy MacLean frame two opposing perspectives of how the history of conservatism in modern America can be understood, but readers are encouraged to reach their own conclusions through reading engaging primary documents.

"The book splits between Critchlow's sympathetic views of conservatism after World War II and MacLean's rebuttal of conservatism as a positive force in American politics. Each essay is followed by a set of primary documents designed to substantiate preceding arguments. A great guide . . . for history students. . . . The essays are critical to demonstrating how to frame ideological debates without resorting to logical fallacies and name-calling." - History Teacher