Jason Stahl is the author of Right Moves: The Conservative Think Tank in American Political Culture since 1945 (University of North Carolina Press, 2016). Stahl is an historian and lecturer in the Department of Organizational Leadership and Policy Development at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. What is missing from the explanation of Donald Trump’s rise and the politics of this year’s presidential campaign? Jason Stahl suggests that part of what is missing is a better appreciation of the politics of conservative of ideas over the last seventy years. In his book, he traces the evolution of conservative think tanks, including the American Enterprise Institute and the Heritage Foundation, from small upstarts with little power to major players in national policy making.

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