Government is the problem: Symbolic trajectories of the contemporary conservative movement

Abstract

The rightward shift of the contemporary conservative movement represents one of the most significant developments in American culture and politics over the last forty years. While numerous studies in rhetoric have tackled case studies of specific events, speeches, and texts, there is not yet a longitudinal study that traces the symbolic developments of the conservative movement over this period. In this dissertation, I fill that gap in rhetorical studies by arguing that the contemporary conservative movement was entelechialized by a limited government worldview, leading conservative Republicans to refuse compromise even when that refusal posed grave political risks. In four case studies, I analyze a number of key influences on the symbolic trajectories of the conservative movement, including Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush, Newt Gingrich, Patrick Buchanan, and contemporary conservative opinion media.