© Columbia University Press
The Twenties in America: Politics and History
July, 2006
Paper, 208 pages,
ISBN: 978-0-7486-2037-1
Edinburgh University Press
$32.00
The Twenties in America offers the first balanced account of the history and politics of this much-maligned decade. Niall Palmer focuses on the governing styles and political philosophies of presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge. He suggests that Harding's executive style and achievements were not as poor as traditional portraits have claimed and that Coolidge was largely successful in his efforts to distance himself from the financial scandals of his predecessor, reviving much of the US economy. Palmer argues that the pace of social and technological change created conflicts over race, religion, and poverty, and employment rights. Consequently, old solutions became increasingly irrelevant to the changing times.