Looking Backward: The Republican Revolution

REPORTER: What happened to the Republican revolution of the late 1990s?

DISSENT: First we should clarify what we mean by the Republican revolution. From 1994 to 2000 Republicans made massive cuts in government spending, transferred power from the federal government to the states, and eviscerated the safety net. These were radical changes. But the curious fact is their programs were never that popular.

REPORTER: How could they have made these fundamental changes if their programs were not popular?

DISSENT: It was a combination of the collapse of liberalism and a short period of extraordinary political discipline on the part of the Republican party.

REPORTER: How do you explain the 1994 mid-term elections and Ne...