The Right | Matthew Continetti

The Right: The Hundred-Year War for American Conservatism

Extended Synopsis

In The Right: The Hundred-Year War for American Conservatism, journalist and intellectual historian Matthew Continetti presents a critical examination of the American conservative movement over the past century. Tracing its evolution from the Progressive Era through the modern landscape, Continetti outlines how conservatism originated as an isolated network of writers, philosophers, and thinkers who institutionalized a cohesive political philosophy. The narrative explores how this highly structured intellectual coalition built the framework for the modern Republican Party, eventually shifting under the influence of changing demographic, economic, and national populist movements.

Continetti evaluates the underlying institutional tensions within the movement, specifically the historical push-and-pull between standard institutional alignment and anti-establishment populism. By examining critical historical pivots—from the foundational resistance to the New Deal and the rise of William F. Buckley Jr., to the presidency of Ronald Reagan and the realignment of the 2016 election—the text demonstrates how the past century of ideological debate directly informs the current state and future path of American governance. This revised trade paperback edition features an updated epilogue that synthesizes recent developments within the contemporary conservative coalition.

Accolades & Academic Recognition

• Praised as "superb" and "ambitious" by The New York Times.
• Recognized as a definitive historical and intellectual biography of the 20th-century American political right.

Core Theoretical Themes

• Institutional vs. Populist Friction: An analysis of the cyclical conflict between mainstream political institutionalization and grassroots populist transformations.
• Intellectual Infrastructure: A study of how policy institutes, political journals, and foundational texts systematically developed and deployed conservative doctrine.
• Electoral Realignment: Detailed examination of the socio-economic factors that precipitated the transition from classical Reaganite fusionism to modern national populism.

Reader Targeting

• Historians, political scientists, and researchers specializing in twentieth-century American political history and ideological movements.
• Policy analysts, journalists, and strategists seeking to understand the structural roots of the modern Republican platform.
• Academic readers seeking a comprehensive, well-documented sourcebook detailing the intersection of political theory and executive governance.

Author Biography

Matthew Continetti is an American journalist, political analyst, and intellectual historian. He is a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where his work focuses on the development of the American conservative movement. Continetti was the founding editor of The Washington Free Beacon and has contributed extensive political commentary to publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.

Bust-Down Books: More Than a Bookstore