This book investigates the resurgence of American right-wing political activity during the 1970s and 1980s and its subsequent impact on the Reagan administration. Gillian Peele, a scholar of American politics, utilizes a synthesis of contemporary research to categorize the diverse factions within the American right. She provides a structured analysis of how these movements coalesced to influence national policy and shift the ideological landscape of the United States.

Experts recognize this work as a foundational text for understanding the structural evolution of American conservatism in the late twentieth century. Readers frequently note the clarity with which the author defines complex political terminology for both academic and general audiences.