Newt Gingrich: The Rise and Fall of a Party Entrepreneur

Matthew N. Green · Jeffrey Crouch

Jul 2022 · Tantor Media Inc · Narrated by Mike Lenz

About this audiobook

In Newt Gingrich: The Rise and Fall of a Party Entrepreneur, political scientists Matthew N. Green and Jeffrey Crouch draw from newly uncovered archival material, original interviews, and other data to provide a fresh and insightful look at Gingrich's entire congressional career. Green and Crouch argue that Gingrich is best understood as a "party entrepreneur," someone who works primarily to achieve their congressional party's collective goals. From the moment he entered Congress, Gingrich was laser-focused on achieving two party-related objectives-a Republican majority in the House and a more conservative society-as well as greater influence for himself. Using a conceptual framework taken from theories of military strategy, the authors explain how Gingrich initially struggled because of a mismatch between his lofty goals and the resources available to him. After years of patiently cultivating allies, tempering his immediate objectives, and waiting for favorable circumstances to emerge, Gingrich finally claimed victory in 1994, with Republicans winning control of the House and electing Gingrich as Speaker. Yet while Gingrich had been creative, patient, and ultimately successful at gaining power for himself and his party, he proved ineffective at balancing his goals with the demands of the Speakership, and he resigned from Congress just four years later.

About the author

Matthew N. Green is professor of politics at The Catholic University of America and author of numerous books, including The Speaker of the House: A Study of Leadership and Underdog Politics: The Minority Party in the US House of Representatives.

Jeffrey Crouch is assistant professor of American politics at American University and author of The Presidential Pardon Power and coauthor of The Unitary Executive Theory: A Danger to Constitutional Government.

Mike Lenz has been an audiobook narrator and voice actor for more than fourteen years. Having narrated titles in genres ranging from fiction, entertainment, science, and children's literature to Christian, business, self-help, and history, Mike loves bringing nonfiction and fiction stories to life.