Book Summary

Steven Greffenius has done what few academics would: written a book praising the virtues of Ronald Reagan as a statesman and politician. Through analysis of Reagan's speeches and policies, Greffenius portrays a political leader who integrated American traditions and ideals. The book reaches into Reagan's heart and mind, and emerges with a president who was thoughtful, prophetic, and liberal minded. People who respect democratic principles and the fundamentals of American life—and who sense the erosion of these—should read this book.

An examination copy is available as a complimentary e-book to anyone who would like to consider The Last Jeffersonian for classroom use. The book is easy to download, easy to navigate, and fully searchable. Your bookstore can order copies of The Last Jeffersonian at a discount directly from the publisher.

"The critics have been quick to dismiss Reagan as a master of myths, slogans, anecdotes, and theatrical gestures. The glory of the Greffenius defense is to display these as intrinsic to the content of Reagan's ideas. He shows how Reagan spoke and acted outside the political boxes of his times by thinking in terms of a latent tradition of Jeffersonian democracy that had survived into postwar America mainly as scattered stories and occasional catchwords. Reagan brought to these a distinctively republican feeling for heroism in the everyday lives of ordinary citizens. He added an extraordinary capacity of invention, attuning values and vistas from earlier times to the landscapes of politics late in the twentieth century. The Greffenius argument is that the resulting ideas, the political rhetoric of Ronald Reagan, deserve to be taken seriously by people who would understand and improve American politics. The case is convincing." From the Foreword by John S. Nelson.

The Last Jeffersonian considers President Reagan's political thought with care. The book's table of contents is listed below. Please click the title for Chapter 5 for a quick look at a sample chapter.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: The Last Jeffersonian

Chapter 2: The Actor and the Politician

Chapter 3: Jefferson's Legacy

Chapter 4: Visions of America

Chapter 5: Self-Improvement

Chapter 6: Dreams of Wealth

Chapter 6: The Idealist

Chapter 8: Self-Government

Chapter 9: Domestic Divisions

Chapter 10: Money and Taxes

Chapter 11: Good Guys and Bad Guys

Chapter 12: Democracy Is Not a Fragile Flower

Chapter 13: Heroes of the Story

Chapter 14: Conclusion