The age of reform

In 'The Age of Reform,' Richard Hofstadter examines the Populist and Progressive movements, challenging the traditional views of these reform traditions.

He introduces concepts such as 'status politics' and critiques the progressive historians' reduction of politics to economic interests.

The book explores the psychological and social roots of political attitudes and behavior, particularly in the context of the rise of large corporations and the changing social and economic conditions post-Civil War. Hofstadter's work has been influential in reshaping the understanding of these movements, although some of his interpretations have been contested by later historians.