Plains Political Tradition
Essays on South Dakota Political Culture
edited by Jon K. Lauck, John E. Miller, Donald C. Simmons, Jr.
400 pages · black-and-white photographs
The first volume in the Plains Political Tradition series
"This collection of essays honors these political anachronisms and authoritatively meets its goal to, 'integrate and synthesize South Dakota history and locate it in the broader context of American history.'"— Foreword Reviews
" The Plains Political Tradition is an excellent and much recommended addition to any politics collection looking to gain insight on local and state level politics from all across the United States."— The Midwest Book Review
"This collection of essays uses history, politics, art, literature, and other influences to give depth to the political culture of the Mount Rushmore State."— Minnesota History
First impressions of the political landscape in South Dakota tend towards an assumption of hard-line conservatism, and yet such a conclusion barely scratches the surface of what constitutes political tradition in the Mount Rushmore State.
Editors Jon K. Lauck, John E. Miller, and Donald C. Simmons, Jr., have drawn together twelve essays on disparate topics in order to consider the state’s underlying political culture. Each essay addresses an aspect of history, politics, or art, subtly exposing the contradictory nature of South Dakotans and elucidating the many elements that comprise the larger political tradition.
Scholars from around the country consider topics such as war and peace, literature, environmentalism, the American Indian Movement, left-wing and liberal politics, immigration, and defeat. With each essay, the discussion builds upon itself, allowing the reader to develop a fuller sense of where South Dakota fits into the growing study of political culture in modern society.
Contributors: Ahrar Ahmad Gretchen Heefner Jason A. Heppler John Husmann Joel Johnson Jon K. Lauck Richard Lofthus John E. Miller Paula M. Nelson William C. Pratt Jon D. Schaff Donald C. Simmons, Jr. Catherine McNicol Stock Frank Van Nuys Donald A. Watt
Jon K. Lauck grew up in South Dakota and earned his Ph.D. in history from the University of Iowa and his law degree from the University of Minnesota. He is interested in the history, culture, economics, and politics of the American Midwest and in American and European history more generally.
John E. Miller is a historian from Brookings, South Dakota. He received his B.A. degree in history from the University of Missouri and his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in history from the University of Wisconsin. He taught twentieth-century American history courses and other historical subjects at the University of Tulsa and at South Dakota State University for thirty years before becoming a full-time writer in 2003.
Donald C. Simmons, Jr. , Ph.D., MDiv., has served South Dakota in many capacities, including city councilman, Executive Director of the South Dakota Humanities Council, founding Director of the South Dakota Festival of Books, founding Director of the McGovern Center for Leadership and Public Service, Dean of Leadership and Public Service at Dakota Wesleyan University, and board member of Christ School of Theology at the Institute of Lutheran Theology in Brookings.
