Tensions in American Conservative Thought
Matthew Continetti, Gerard Alexander (Moderator)
Matthew Continetti of the American Enterprise Institute discusses his book The Right: The Hundred Year War for American Conservatism, which explores the history of American conservatism from the Progressive Era to the present day. Continetti shares his insights about the developments and pressures that have shaped conservative thought and the conflicts between a desire for mainstream acceptance and the pull of extremism and populism. Moderating the conversation is UVA Professor of Politics Gerard Alexander, who is also president of the Blue Ridge Center.
Lunch will be served starting at 11:30 AM. Continetti's book will be available for purchase. Parking is not available at Bond House. If you plan to drive, there is paid parking within walking distance at the Oakhurst Inn and Central Grounds Garage. For additional handicap accessible parking spots, consult the UVA accessibility map.
The Nau Lab's “Touchstones of Democracy” series explores key events, places, thinkers, and texts that inform the history and principles of democracy. The spring 2025 conversations are produced at the University of Virginia by the Karsh Institute of Democracy and the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. This event is co-sponsored by the Blue Ridge Center.
Speakers
Matthew Continetti
Director of Domestic Policy Studies, the American Enterprise Institute (AEI)
Patrick and Charlene Neal Chair in American Prosperity, AEI
Matthew Continetti
Director of Domestic Policy Studies, the American Enterprise Institute (AEI)
Patrick and Charlene Neal Chair in American Prosperity, AEI
Matthew Continetti is the director of domestic policy studies and the inaugural Patrick and Charlene Neal Chair in American Prosperity at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where his work is focused on American political thought and history, with a particular focus on the development of the Republican Party and the American conservative movement in the 20th century.
A prominent journalist, analyst, author, and intellectual historian of the right, Continetti was the founding editor and the editor in chief of the Washington Free Beacon. Previously, he was opinion editor at the Weekly Standard.
Continetti is also a contributing editor at National Review and a columnist for Commentary magazine. He has been published in the Atlantic, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post, among other outlets. His broadcast appearances include Fox News Channel’s Special Report with Bret Baier and NBC News’ Meet the Press.
Continetti is the author of three books, including, most recently, The Right: The Hundred-Year War for American Conservatism (Basic Books, 2022). His previous books were The Persecution of Sarah Palin: How the Elite Media Tried to Bring Down a Rising Star (Penguin, 2009) and The K Street Gang: The Rise and Fall of the Republican Machine (Doubleday, 2006).
He has a BA in history from Columbia University.
Gerard Alexander (Moderator)
Associate Professor of Politics, UVA
Gerard Alexander (Moderator)
Associate Professor of Politics, UVA
Gerard Alexander is an associate professor of politics at the University of Virginia. He is author of the book The Sources of Democratic Consolidation and scholarly articles on conditions for democratic stability, particularly the role played by the political right in Europe in either overthrowing or consolidating democracies in the 19th and 20th centuries. He has also written on U.S. politics in The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Review, the Weekly Standard, the Claremont Review of Books, and other publications.