Reform and Reaction - by Michael Smith & H Edward Flentje

About the Book

"Originating under the leadership of the late Burdett Loomis, Reform and Reaction tells the complex story of recent Kansas politics, beginning with the end of Old Kansas that took place in the 1960s and concluding with the reversal of Governor Sam Brownback's "Red State" policies in the 2016 and 2018 elections. The Kansas that emerged from the reapportionment decisions and the overhaul of state government in the 1960s and 1970s was one that found itself in a push-and-pull, reform-and-reaction pattern the authors refer to as the arc of Kansas politics. Reform-minded and policy-oriented politicians, who tended toward a moderate, bipartisan approach, pushed to modernize the state to better serve the needs of its citizens, following the maxim of Governer Robert Docking: "austere but adequate." Because this approach avoided or rejected the narrow conservative interests of culture warriors, reformist administrations were followed by reactionary administrations that advanced a right-wing agenda. Brownback thus brought the era of "austere but adequate" to an abrupt end when he won the governorship in 2010. When voters became tired of this approach, a new set of reform politicians were elected-and so the arc continues. Reform and Reaction not only illuminates the political history of Kansas, but it also sheds light on what may be in store"--

Book Synopsis

Originating under the leadership of the late Burdett Loomis, Reform and Reaction tells the complex story of recent Kansas politics, beginning in the 1960s and concluding with the reversal of Governor Sam Brownback's red-state policies in the 2016 and 2018 elections. The Kansas that emerged from the reapportionment decisions and the overhaul of state government in the 1960s and 1970s was one that found itself in a push-and-pull, reform-and-reaction pattern the authors refer to as the arc of Kansas politics.

Reform-minded and policy-oriented politicians who tended toward a moderate, bipartisan approach pushed to modernize the state to better serve the needs of its citizens, following the maxim of Governor Robert Docking: "austere but adequate." Because this approach avoided or rejected the narrow conservative interests of culture warriors, reformist administrations were followed by reactionary administrations that advanced a right-wing agenda. Brownback thus brought the era of "austere but adequate" to an abrupt end when he won the governorship in 2010. When voters became tired of this approach, a new set of reform politicians were elected--and so the arc continues.

The only book tracing changes in Kansas government since the 1960s, including the loss of moderates in both parties, the Brownback era, and its aftermath, Reform and Reaction is the last book by the celebrated political scientist Burdett Loomis, who conceived the idea for the book and authored one of its chapters before his passing.

Reform and Reaction not only illuminates the political history of Kansas but also sheds light on what may be in store for the future of the Sunflower State.

Review Quotes

"Kansas political history has not been tidy. It has been uncertain, tense, confusing, and contradictory. Here is the story of how reforms of the 1960s gave way to the tensions of the twenty-first century. Reform and Reaction unpacks the old saying that 'as goes Kansas, so goes the nation.' Sometimes, Kansas defined the issues that defined a nation. Sometimes, it was more that Kansas adopted something because the nation had already accepted it. This book drills down beyond broad trends and blanket statements to explore the human and personal interactions that shaped the story of the Sunflower State over the past fifty years and will be an invaluable resource for those who wondered 'how did we get here?' . . . or perhaps, more accurately, 'what on earth happened?'"--Jay M. Price, professor of history and director of the Local and Community History Program at Wichita State University

"Kansas is a 'Red' state, but its politics are more varied and elections more competitive, especially in gubernatorial races, than one might expect. Applying an effective 'reform and reaction' framework, Smith and Flentje explain the trajectory of politics in the Sunflower State since the 1960s. Highly recommended."--John Fliter, associate professor of political science at Kansas State University, and author of Child Labor in America: The Epic Legal Struggle to Protect Children

"Reform and Reaction documents the issues and individuals who shaped the decades between 1960 and the 2020s in the state of Kansas. Not only is it an important history for those of us who are closely following--and participating--in the changes occurring in the Heartland, but events in Kansas, like the rise of 'movement conservatism, ' previewed what was about to occur in the rest of the country. Those early Kansas trends continued through the August 2022 vote, the first in the country following the Dobbs decision, which offered the nation a glimpse into voters' reactions and has been repeated across America.

Many thanks to authors Michael Smith and Ed Flentje. And special thanks to Bird Loomis who inspired, contributed, and participated in both educating students and citizens, and helping leaders to understand the events of each era in the context of an ever-changing landscape of challenges and issues in Kansas."--Kathleen Sebelius, 44th governor of Kansas and former US Secretary of Health and Human Services