A Rope of Sand - by Alan Draper (Hardcover)

About the Book

The first book-length, scholarly treatment of the subject, this volume examines the AFL-CIO's Committee on Political Education (COPE) from its origins in 1955 to the stunning defeat of COPE-endorsed candidates in the 1966 Congressional elections. In an attempt to determine whether the AFL-CIO is a surrogate for the social democratic party that the American party system lacks, Draper analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of labor's alliance with the Democratic party and the degree to which COPE was successful in mobilizing a coalition of workers and minorities to pursue social democratic goals.

Book Synopsis

The first book-length, scholarly treatment of the subject, this volume examines the AFL-CIO's Committee on Political Education (COPE) from its origins in 1955 to the stunning defeat of COPE-endorsed candidates in the 1966 Congressional elections. In an attempt to determine whether the AFL-CIO is a surrogate for the social democratic party that the American party system lacks, Draper analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of labor's alliance with the Democratic party and the degree to which COPE was successful in mobilizing a coalition of workers and minorities to pursue social democratic goals.

About the Author

ALAN DRAPER is Assistant Professor of Government and Coordinator of the Work and Society Program at St. Lawrence University. His reviews and articles have appeared in the American Political Science Review, Economic and Industrial Democracy, and Labor History. His current research is on the role organized labor played in the civil rights movement.