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Republicans had created an underclass of Americans increasingly falling behind economically. And, crucially, they had given that underclass someone to hate.

This passage comes at the end of Chapter 7, “The Reagan Revolution,” as Richardson explains how Republican politics changed under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. New economic policies under these administrations were designed to help large corporations at the expense of workers. In order to continue to attract voters despite worsening economic conditions, Richardson argues that Republicans employed divisive rhetoric, pitting white, Christian working men against feminists, Black people, and liberals. This "culture war" was intended to convince voters who had been hurt by Republican economic policies to oppose Democrats in order to preserve and protect freedom and American values.

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