On the book “The Death of Conservatism” by Sam Tanenhaus. The book reviews are an opportunity to both demonstrate knowledge and make an original argument. Students will show their ability to quickly and accurately summarize a book and make an argument of their own. Examine a book that criticizes the conservative movement, from either the left or the right.
These are books that attack the basic philosophical premises of the conservative movement, rather than focusing on specific policy issues or personalities within the Republican Party. In these reviews, students will summarize and critique the major arguments of the book.
As they read, students should consider the following questions, though all of these questions do not need to be addressed in their papers: what are the book’s strengths and weaknesses? What are possible counterarguments or objections to the author’s primary argument? Are there any obvious contradictions in the author’s argument? Are the arguments made in the book still relevant? How might the claims made in the book be relevant to current debates? The best papers will provide a clear thesis, presented early in the paper, which is subsequently advanced in the following paragraph. Papers should be between six and nine pages, including a works cited page.
