A comparative study of independent working-class politics : the American Federation of Labor and third party movements in New York, Chicago and Seattle, 1918-1924
This comparative study of independent working-class politics in New York, Chicago and Seattle between 1918 to 1924 is inspired by the debate over the absence of a working class party in the USA. Ever since Werner Sombart asked, ~Why is there no socialism in the United States?~ historians and social scientists have contested the answer. The weakness of socialism is not a problem unique to the USA. Indeed mass socialist parties are a rare phenomenon; they only exist in a few countries. Seen in this light there is nothing particularly unusual about the American situation. However Sombart was questioning the absence of a working-class party in a country he considered to have an advanced working-class. The case studies start with the formation and subsequent decline of the labour parties, and end with the La Follette presidential campaign, which many labour party activists had hoped would revive their fortunes. The chapters are ordered in two chronological periods. Chapters Three to Five cover 1918-1920, and Chapters Six to Eight cover 1921 to 1924. As far as possible, each chapter investigates the same range of factors as the previous, so that the whole thesis is infused with the comparative method. The final
Strouthous, Andrew George
History
A comparative study of independent working-class politics : the American Federation of Labor and third party movements in New York, Chicago and Seattle, 1918-1924. This comparative study of independent working-class politics in New York, Chicago and Seattle between 1918 to 1924 is inspired by the debate over the absence of a working class party in the USA. Ever since Werner Sombart asked, ~Why is there no socialism in the United States?~ historians and social scientists have contested the answer. The weakness of socialism is not a problem unique to the USA. Indeed mass socialist parties are a rare phenomenon; they only exist in a few countries. Seen in this light there is nothing particularly unusual about the American situation. However Sombart was questioning the absence of a working-class party in a country he considered to have an advanced working-class. The case studies start with the formation and subsequent decline of the labour parties, and end with the La Follette presidential campaign, which many labour party activists had hoped would revive their fortunes. The chapters are ordered in two chronological periods. Chapters Three to Five cover 1918-1920, and Chapters Six to Eight cover 1921 to 1924. As far as possible, each chapter investigates the same range of factors as the previous, so that the whole thesis is infused with the comparative method. The final
comparative_study independent working_class politics american federation third party movement new_york comparative_study independent working_class politics new_york inspired debate absence work_class party usa ever_since ask why socialism united_states historian social scientist contest answer weakness socialism problem unique usa indeed mass socialist party rare phenomenon exist country light nothing particularly unusual american situation however question absence working_class party country consider advanced working_class case_study start formation subsequent_decline labour_party end presidential campaign many labour_party activist hop would revive fortune order chronological_period cover cover far_possible investigate range_factor previous whole infuse comparative_method final