The End of the Second Reconstruction
Obama, Trump, and the Crisis of Civil Rights
Book •
Richard Johnson examines the accomplishments of the second American Reconstruction — the civil rights advances of the 1960s — and traces how political, legal, and institutional changes have put those gains at risk.
He analyzes legislation, court decisions, and partisan realignments to explain why civil-rights advances persisted longer than after the first Reconstruction but remain vulnerable.
Johnson argues that changing judicial interpretations and political polarization undermine protections once seen as settled.
The book places recent developments (including the Obama and Trump presidencies) in historical context to highlight continuity and rupture.
It aims to show both the possibilities of transformative reform and the fragility of its achievements.
He analyzes legislation, court decisions, and partisan realignments to explain why civil-rights advances persisted longer than after the first Reconstruction but remain vulnerable.
Johnson argues that changing judicial interpretations and political polarization undermine protections once seen as settled.
The book places recent developments (including the Obama and Trump presidencies) in historical context to highlight continuity and rupture.
It aims to show both the possibilities of transformative reform and the fragility of its achievements.
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Richard Johnson
Richard Johnson and Lee Evans
