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Why do we need to understand the U.S. Political Right?

Building an effective movement for democracy, equality, peace, economic fairness, and social justice requires accurate information and analysis

The U.S. Political Right has built a large and complicated network of groups into a coalition that now dominates the political scene and shapes government polices. All too often the result is an erosion of rights and liberties for many of us, while a handful of people garner an increase in wealth, power, and privliege.

The U.S. Political Right, however, is not a monolith. The Christian Right agrees with right-wing libertarians about taxes, but argues with them over government intrusion into social relationships and issues such as abortion rights and gay rights.

The more we understand the many facets of the U.S. Political Right--the ideologies, goals, histories, methodologies, coalitions, and wedge issues--the more effectivly we will be in mobilizing campaigns that extend democracy.

Particularly since the early 1970s, the political Right has successfully reframed a whole series of issues in a way that has moved federal and state governments toward an increasing level of repression; and society toward accepting more social oppression. While successfully establishing their framework the political Right has managed to hide its own role in the process. What this means is that even as the arguments of the political Right have become widely accepted, the way it actually created this situation has been overlooked. Many "average Americans," mainly middle class Whites, now simply accept arguments for repressive measures and oppressive systems as "common sense."

• Studying the U.S. Political Right
• Overview Articles
• Chart of Sectors
• Ground Rules & Tips for Challenging the Right
• Introductory Slideshow
• Take Action
• Civil Liberties, Security for Activists, Political Repression

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