People, Politics and Prose | Taking America Back: The Conservative Movement and the Far Right

Since 2016, many commentators have expressed shock at the so-called rise of the far right in America at the expense of “responsible” and “respectable” conservatism. But is the far right an aberration in conservative politics?

As David Austin Walsh argues in his provocative new book, the mainstream conservative movement and the far right have been intertwined for nearly a century, born out of a “right-wing popular front” opposed to socialism, communism, and New Deal liberalism.

Far from being outliers in the broader conservative coalition, extremist elements were foundational in the creation of a right‑wing political culture centered around shared political enemies, a penchant for conspiracy theories, and a desire to restore America to its “authentic” pre–New Deal values.

Join host Ron Granieri as he welcomes Dr. Walsh for a discussion on the history of the conservative movement and its implications for the future of American politics.

People, Politics, and Prose with Ron Granieri features in-depth conversations with authors of recent books on international affairs and national security. Moderated by FPRI’s Ronald J. Granieri, each session will build on the book’s contents to discuss the author’s influences and motivations, relating everything to current events to elicit a broader understanding of the geographical, political, and historical context of our contemporary world.



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